‘Looks like we might need to pull this tooth.’
The doctor said. I’d come to the dentist because my molar was killing me, and it seemed pretty serious.
‘Is it really that bad?’
‘Yep, check out this X-ray. Let’s compare it with the one from a year ago. See how much bone has dissolved back here?’
‘I can’t really tell.’
‘That’s okay. Look here too. You can see it’s dissolving inside the tooth as well?’
‘Is that dark area where it’s dissolving?’
‘Exactly. Plus, it’s swollen in the front and back, so pulling it might be the best option.’
When I was a kid, I’d lose teeth almost every other day. They’d wiggle a bit and then just pop out when I least expected it.
‘The first teeth we get as kids are called baby teeth. You get 10 on the top jaw and 10 on the bottom.’
‘Eruption, right?’
‘Teeth are bones. They start growing inside the skin, just like other bones. Then, they suddenly pop out through the gums like flowers blooming—this is what we call eruption. If you ask a dermatologist, they might call it something like a widespread rash!’
‘Oh, I see. So both are eruptions, huh?’
Now that I might have to pull out this permanent molar, I regret not taking better care of my teeth since I was little. If I’d managed to keep my baby teeth in perfect condition, maybe my molar would grow back after pulling it out, right?
‘Not really. Baby teeth are meant to fall out when you’re young. They’re not very strong, and even if they don’t decay, the permanent teeth coming in dissolve their roots. That’s why they get loose and eventually fall out easily.’
‘Oh, so there wasn’t much point in trying to keep them, huh?’
‘If you’d taken good care of your teeth after the permanent ones came in, we wouldn’t need to pull this one out today.’
Why do humans only get a second set of teeth? If they grew back two or three more times, I wouldn’t be so worried about needing to pull one, right?
‘If you were a shark, you’d have new teeth all the time.’
‘Really?’
‘Sharks have a gene network that keeps their teeth regenerating their whole lives.’
But I wouldn’t want to be a shark just for the teeth.
‘Researchers at the University of Sheffield discovered that humans have the same tooth regeneration gene as sharks. It’s a type of epithelial cell called the dental lamina that keeps growing teeth. In humans, this cell disappears after the first set of teeth is replaced. But since we know about the gene, research is underway to keep these cells active longer. Maybe people will be able to regrow teeth multiple times in the future.’
‘So, maybe I can get new teeth too?’
‘Not in our lifetime.’
The doctor was firm. So, implants are my only option?
‘Not quite. There’s one more way.’
‘Oh? Dentures?’
‘Molars take a lot of pressure, so it’s rare to use just one denture for a molar.’
‘Then what’s the other option?’
‘Besides the implants you know, there’s this thing called an Tooth-Plant.’
‘Tooth-Plant?’
‘Yes, Tooth-Plant.’
It was a term I’d never heard before. Maybe I’d heard it and just thought it was another word for implant. What exactly is an Tooth-Plant?
‘Tooth-Plant is literally planting a tooth.’
‘Isn’t an implant just planting a fake tooth?’
‘Tooth-Plant actually plants a real “tooth seed.” Just like planting a flower seed.’
Was something like that really out there, and I had no idea?
‘Tooth-Plant isn’t something every dentist can do. Only a very few can perform it.’
‘If that technology exists, why don’t all dentists offer it?’
‘It requires an additional certification.’
‘Besides a medical license?’
‘Yes, you also need a horticulture technician certificate. That’s why it’s not commonly done. There’s another reason too…’
What kind of nonsense is this? A dentist needs a horticulture technician certificate?
‘As I said, Tooth-Plant is about planting a tooth. We cut the gum and plant a [tooth seed]—in your case, a [molar seed]. Then we cover it back up. You’ll need to visit the dentist daily for a month.’
‘Every day?’
‘Yes, because I’ll water it daily and expose it to direct light using that surgical light over there. Like growing a plant.’
‘Like growing a plant?’
‘Exactly. That’s why you need the horticulture certificate. Without the skill, the tooth seed won’t sprout or might dry out and die.’
‘It sprouts?’
No way.
‘Yes, it grows. The root gets thicker, and a white fruit develops. Once it blooms, the stem withers, and the white fruit grows, pushing through the gums. That becomes the tooth.’
‘Will it grow well in the mouth with all the eating going on?’
‘To protect it from food and other teeth, we cover the sprout with a transparent Teflon beaker.’
‘Won’t it just fall off?’
‘It can’t fall off. If the sprout gets damaged, we’d have to start over.’
‘How does it stay put on the gums?’
‘There’s a way.’
‘How?’
‘The Teflon beaker has screws. We drill into the alveolar bone—the bone where the tooth was—and fix the beaker there. It never moves.’
‘Oh, then it won’t move at all!’
‘Exactly!’
‘But isn’t that just like an implant?’
‘Yes, it is. The other reason Tooth-Plant isn’t widely done is because it involves drilling into the bone. Instead of planting a seed, you can just insert an artificial root and be done.’
‘No need for a horticulture certificate either.’
‘Exactly.’
Listening to all this, Tooth-Plant seems kind of pointless. So why did this dentist get a horticulture certificate?
‘I just love gardening.’
Got it.
‘Alright, let’s go with the implant then.’
‘Sure thing. Come back in about three months. We’ll check on the bone, and then we can proceed.’
‘Cool, and show me that Teflon beaker when I come back. I want to check it out.’
At least I wanted to see it.
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