Biological tooth replacement and repair.

Implantology is an ancient art that can be traced back several thousand years. Although modern implants have improved substantially over the last 50 years, the basic principle remains unchanged: replace a missing tooth with an inert non-biological material (metal, ceramic etc.). The rate of technological improvements in implants has reached a plateau and substantial new developments will require major changes to the basic approach. Rapid advances in the development of cell-based therapies in medicine suggest that similar approaches should be considered in dental treatment. The use of cell-based implants that will develop into natural teeth and the employment of cells to restore/repair caries lesions is thus an area of considerable interest and excitement.