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Some animals have continuosly growing teeth. Maybe with the right chemicals that could be encouraged in humans too.

• Loughla 3y ago
  It seems like turning on a switch for continuously growing anything is a recipe for cancer. Modern medicine and what it accomplishes continues to absolutely astound me with what is possible.
  • therein 3y ago
    An unconditional one is but selectivity and reversibility is the key. Nothing makes that unachievable, just more complicated. Teeth growth is a good target for such experimentation. Given its relatively easily operable nature allowing convenient observation of progress and intervention if needed. We already can accelerate the regrowth of fingernails after losing one. This is the next easiest target if you ask me.
    • pengaru 3y ago
      A shorter path to market might be to grow replacements in a sacrificial host using harvested stem cells from the recipient. Transplanting into the socket once sufficiently developed, with some of the magic sauce topically applied at the interface to promote it all taking root and growing into its new home... It sounded like they were doing experiments with transplants as well in one of the papers I skimmed. I might actually prefer that approach if it had a high success rate, to replace a thoroughly trashed tooth. Seems preferable to exposing oneself to the new treatment for the entire duration of tooth development. Especially if all you need is one replacement...