A new tooth implant can grow into your gums — and even talk to your brain like a real tooth.
Scientists at Tufts University have unveiled a revolutionary “smart” dental implant that grows into the gum and connects with existing nerves, offering a sensation-rich replacement closer to a real tooth than anything previously developed.
Unlike traditional implants that screw into the jawbone and lack sensory feedback, this innovative approach uses a biodegradable outer layer embedded with stem cells and a protein that encourages nerve tissue growth.
As it expands into the socket, the implant secures itself without drilling, healing into the soft tissue and restoring the mouth-to-brain signaling typically lost when a tooth is extracted.
The new implant has been successfully tested in rodents, where it demonstrated biocompatibility and nerve connectivity within six weeks post-implantation.
Researchers plan to further assess brain activity to confirm restored sensory communication, and future trials in larger animals and eventually humans are in the works. If successful, the technology could transform not only dentistry but other areas of orthopedics by introducing implants that integrate and interact with the nervous system.
learn more https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-99923-8
