Perfect pearly whites can be achieved with a Japanese pharmaceutical company’s developing medicine “Toregem” that allows buds to have full-grown teeth.
Toregem is said to manipulate the tooth buds that most don’t develop due to certain proteins preventing their growth; thus, toregem will inhibit these said proteins.
The research began in 2018 when the company tested on ferrets, which have similar baby and permanent teeth to humans. The experiment was a success and continues to develop.
Founder, Dr. Katsu Takahashi, plans to test and start its clinical trials by July 2024 for children with anodontia, or those who can’t grow permanent teeth.
“Missing teeth in a child can affect the development of their jaw bone. We hope the drug will serve as a key to solving those problems,” he said.
On their official website, President Honoka Kiso shared his own personal experience that inspired him to work with Dr. Takahashi: “When I was a junior high school student, I lost two teeth due to a mandibular bone disease and had an inpatient surgery.”
“That experience led me to become a dentist. When I was a college student, I had an implant treatment for a lost tooth. I wanted to study the cause of my illness and how to regenerate lost teeth, so I went on to graduate school in 2008, and since then, I have been involved in research on tooth regeneration by Dr. Takahashi,” Kiso explained further.
The team values the project as much, so even if the medicine does not meet the expected results, it will instead release the findings of human tooth development, which can further studies or the development of the medicine.
Toregem aims to offer the product by 2030, once it has been tested and considered safe for human usage.
One way or another, it is still important to take care of the teeth by practicing oral hygiene, not abusing the teeth by avoiding biting brittle objects, and visiting the dentist as much as possible.
