Scientists grow human tooth in a lab for the first time

You might have already lost some of your primary or milk teeth and now have adult teeth in their place.

However, if you lose one of your adult teeth, you don't get a natural replacement, so people usually have to go for an artificial tooth.

But in the future that could change, as scientists have managed to grow a human tooth in a lab for the first time.

Scientists hope one day this could be a way of replacing a tooth if someone needs one.

Before you think this is the green light to stop brushing your teeth, it could be a long time before these teeth are finding their way into our mouths.

It is hoped that the lab grown teeth would avoid certain problems which can come from solutions like implants.

Dr Ana Angelova-Volponi is part of the team behind the breakthrough at King's College London.

"Lab-grown teeth would naturally regenerate, integrating into the jaw as real teeth.

"They would be stronger, longer lasting, and free from rejection risks, offering a more durable and biologically compatible solution than fillings or implants."

Dr Aneglova-Volponi said that by growing the tooth they are "really filling in the gaps of knowledge".

It could be years until the lab grown teeth find their way into our mouths

The team, alongside Imperial College London, have introduced a special type of material to cells which allows them to communicate between each other.

This allows one cell to effectively tell another to start becoming a tooth cell.

The next step is for scientists to work out how to get the newly grown teeth into a patient's mouth.

This stage could take a number of years - so keep up the brushing!