Jan 27, 2017 06:19 PM EST By Chris Brandt, UniversityHerald Reporter

When the damage in a tooth is very big, there's no other way but to fill it with cement. This method will soon be over but instead, teeth will re-grow naturally as if they are new. Thanks to a team of researchers at King's College London who discovered a drug to stimulate the tooth to regrow.

The drug isn't relatively new but an unlikely one for dental procedures because it was meant to treat various neurological disorders including Alzheimer's. The drug, called Tideglusib, has already undergone clinical trials for Alzheimer's treatment.

Paul Sharpe, a professor at King's College London and the lead author of the study, said that stem cells are already found in the soft inner pulp of the teeth. When stimulated, these stem cells can turn into any type of tissue and these are what the scientists stimulated using Tideglusib and a substance called glycogen synthase kinase.

The scientists applied this mixture on the damaged tooth using a biodegradable sponge made from collagen. As the sponge degraded, dentine takes its place which then fills the tooth naturally.

Sharpe said that the teeth will be able to use their natural ability to heal themselves rather than depend on cement fillings. Furthermore, it will lessen the risk of infection and the need to replace the fillings often.

Normally, when infection occurs or fillings are not enough, dentists will have to remove the previous filling in that area. Moreover, the gap becomes bigger than the last one and if further treatments will fail, the tooth will just have to be extracted. With the new natural solution, all these issues will be eliminated as the tooth regenerates itself.

The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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