• wizardbeard@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      26 minutes ago

      Nope. As far as extrusion printing goes: normal 3D printing filament is not food safe and the tiny stairstep layers would be perfect breeding grounds for bacteria and plaque impossible to properly clean. For resin printing: that shit’s toxic in liquid form, very bad idea to ingest as a solid, and dust from the hardened prints (like if you sand a nub down) when breathed in works like asbestos on your lungs.

    • exasperation@lemm.ee
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      40 minutes ago

      Dental printers are a pretty standard way to make these things. There’s a whole regulatory process for testing and certifying the printers and their resins for continued contact with gums/skin/teeth for toxicity, infection, irritation, etc.

      But there are still significant drawbacks to using dead synthetic stuff as a replacement for living tissue.

  • itstoowet@lemmy.world
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    4 hours ago

    I’ve been hearing about lab grown teeth for decades at this point. Cool to hear progress regardless though

    • gnutrino@programming.dev
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      4 hours ago

      We have different ideas to put the teeth inside the mouth. We could transplant the young tooth cells at the location of the missing tooth and let them grow inside mouth. Alternatively, we could create the whole tooth in the lab before placing it in the patient’s mouth.

      I assume option 1 at least would lead to the nerve connections naturally growing as the tooth does. Regardless, this still seems in the super early lab-proof-of-concept stage so I guess the ultimate answer is we don’t know yet.

      • muhyb@programming.dev
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        2 hours ago

        Hmm, option 2 seems like root canal treatment but instead there is a new tooth. However if they can predict the direction where the tooth will grow, option 1 seems promising.

  • PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works
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    6 hours ago

    I have no doubt that this is a good thing and will improve quality of life, however just the concept itself is the stuff of nightmares.

    Teeth…just there….growing….

    • Tattorack@lemmy.world
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      4 hours ago

      Honestly, a number of animals have regenerating teeth. Many animals in the past (like dinosaurs) also had regenerating teeth.

      Humans are missing out.

    • GoofSchmoofer@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      Give it time and there will be the option of Gigantic Corp paying for your teeth if you grow their logo on them.

  • s_s@lemm.ee
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    8 hours ago

    My Labrador has excellent teeth.

    Man’s best friend becomes man’s best mouth.