Keep your fallen teeth for daddy’s implant

By Bae Ji-sook

Staff reporter

Baby teeth after having fallen out can be more than a gift for the tooth fairy. A group of dentists have developed a way to process the loose teeth into material for alveolar bone transplantation, a foundational procedure for a dental implant.

The material could be used for operations on not only the tooth owner but also family members, they said. Medical experts said the method will open a new era for old people whose original teeth are falling out.

Prof. Kim Young-kyun of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital and his colleagues developed a one-week processing method to mill the teeth into bone transplantation material.

The powder can be injected inside the gum and within two to three months, it will successfully bond to the gum structure and become a part of the original bone, Kim said.

Bone transplanting is considered the only option for those who need a dental implant but lack alveolar bones (bones of the gum). Old people and those with few teeth left have to borrow a similar substance from animals or use artificial materials as substitutes. "Using a family members' tooth is effective because it does not cause the side effects stemming from genetic differences. Also, it can sustain the tooth implant longer and more effectively than artificial ingredients," he said.

"In the near future, saving one's teeth whether they have fallen out or been pulled out will become a natural habit in the future," he added.