Dental healing using stem cell technology and 3D imaging

3D scaffold tooth regeneration using microscopic sound or laser imaging.   

Problem: Infants till age 2 have a dental arcade of about 20 deciduous teeth ( 2 incisors, 1 canine, 0 premolar and 2 molars on the upper half and same ration of 2 incisors, 1 canine, o premolars and 2 molars on the lower half, total of 10 teeth on one side), older children and adults have a permanent dental arcade of about 32 permanent teeth ( 2 incisors, 1 canine, 2 premolar and 3 molars on the upper half and the lower half, total of 16 teeth on one half). The permanent tooth must remain healthy for the remainder of the adult life and it is very hard to keep healthy and intact even with constant brushing, dentists visit and cleanings. 

Solution: To keep intact the adult dental arcade: there has been careful and long studies using stem cells obtained from own tooth pulp (“from healthy root canals") to repair and regrowth lost dental tissue.  However there needs to be more studies in how this can be introduced to clinical trials or even in dental offices.

How will the solution change the world?
More children and adults in poor and developing countries have a better dental prophylaxis and improve the stem cell studies in tooth regeneration.

        This is a new application of an existing technology of using stem cells, growth factors and 3D scaffolding to make new "live tooth" for tooth repair, graft or implant.

There exists 3D imaging techniques using laser and X-rays to scan and reconstruct images of teeth in certain areas of the dental arcade for treatment. However new technology must be developed such as microscopic 3D sound (in the audible range) technology that can be used to image inside a soft "live tooth" and determine the viability of a successful live implant using own healing mechanisms to hold and rebuild a live tissue inside the 3D tooth scaffold.

Identify protein(s) or extracellular matrix of regions of own “donor” tooth for 3D reconstruction; test hypothesis if let blood cells and possibly cells of the surrounding tissue (bone marrow) to penetrate 3D scaffold, cells will be able to differentiate to tissues if in the “right” location; using a novel approach to (develop) imaging using 3D sound (audible range) visualization by using the “diffuse, disperse attenuation of the reflected, or refracted signal” (contact with a semi solid preformed tooth) to visualize formation of vascularization, dentine, and enamel in the microscopic level.

      If more research can be promoted in finding a solution to repair tooth by conserving the living stage, perhaps more laboratories and dentists will be able to contribute and adopt this clinical practice.

       There are related projects on tooth stem cell research being studied and selected by leading institutions that are widely adopted and peer reviewed by the scientific and dental community.  I believe if my proposal becomes a viable solution it can become part of the bigger project of tooth stem cell research that will eventually become available to the general public either in studies or perhaps clinical trials, and ultimately being served in the communities.

       This is still the preliminary stage of writing a proposal that could be beneficial for the dental care of the general population. It may be able to be more properly divulged if more clinical trials on 3D tooth regeneration is conducted in the future and proven successful. 

             There has been research on creating the framework of the 3-D tooth before a repair or implant can occur, and there has been inferred the possibility that the pulp stem cells can be encouraged to regrow the tooth. I believe there are also research on introducing the 3-D tooth printed framework and using blood cells to help regenerate the tooth to prevent a root canal or to repair broken tooth.

          In participating in the MIT Solve I hope I can have constructive comments, and possibly work with a future team to solve this problem using other approaches if possible.

     I believe that stem cell research is very promising in regenerating injured or diseased tissue or organs. Though the revenue model can not be exactly quantified, it is a long term investment that can bring bountiful rewards for the investigators and the beneficiaries of this new research.

Review and sharing of possible solutions.

Research partnership and discussion of idea feasibility