"Implants No More, My Own Teeth Instead"... Natural Bone Components Open the Door to Tooth Regeneration

Developed by Professor Park Chanheum’s team at Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital
“Tooth-regenerating bioink” using natural bone components developed
Published in the January 2026 issue of the international journal “Polymer Testing”

Professor Park Chanheum. Provided by Hallym University

In the future, instead of replacing missing teeth with implants or dentures, it is expected that people will be able to regenerate actual dental tissue using their own stem cells.

On February 11, a research team led by Professor Park Chanheum in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Hallym University Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital announced that it has developed a new “3D bioink (DbpGMA)” that uses natural bone components to promote the differentiation and growth of dental tissue. This study has been published in the January 2026 issue of the international journal Polymer Testing and is drawing attention in the medical community.

Conventional implants and dentures can perform the function of chewing food, but they have limitations in replacing biological functions such as sensing through nerves and blood vessels and self-repair in case of damage. To address this, research on tooth regeneration using stem cells has been active, but it has been challenging to create a precise “scaffold” that can guide stem cells to grow properly into dental tissue.

Professor Park's team found a solution by using demineralized bone powder extracted from natural bone. They developed a bioink that hardens when exposed to light and contains fine bone powder smaller than 90 micrometers, enabling a 3D printer to fabricate highly detailed tooth shapes.

The most significant achievement of this study is that the bioink itself sends a signal to stem cells to "grow into dental tissue" without the need for additional growth-inducing drugs. In experiments, periodontal ligament-derived stem cells encapsulated in the bioink differentiated into dental cells on their own, without any further treatment.

The research team also succeeded in creating “vascular channels” to supply oxygen and nutrients to the cells. Using tartrazine, an edible food colorant, they drilled micro-holes measuring 0.7 millimeters exactly as designed, and confirmed that real liquid flowed smoothly through these channels without blockage. This is a core technology that enables transplanted dental tissue to survive in the body rather than die.

Data on the physical properties of DbpGMA. Provided by Hallym University

Through various experiments, the team also identified a “golden ratio”: when the concentration of the bioink is 20%, it shows the best cell compatibility and shape-retention ability. This demonstrates the potential for customized tooth regeneration that precisely matches each patient's individual oral structure.

Professor Park Chanheum said, “This study is a pilot study for the development of a bioink that can be printed and can induce the differentiation of periodontal ligament-derived stem cells. The materials used in this study still have limitations for immediate application to tooth fabrication, and additional improvements and follow-up studies will be needed in the future.”

He added, “The significance of this study lies in establishing a bioink platform that enables high-precision 3D printing while preserving the bioactivity of naturally derived bone tissue. We plan to expand this technology not only to customized tooth regeneration therapies but also to various other fields of regenerative medicine.”

Microchannel fabrication process using tartrazine. Provided by Hallym University

Meanwhile, this study was published in the prestigious international polymer journal Polymer Testing in its January 2026 issue under the title “Demineralized bone bioinks with enhanced odontogenic differentiation: Synthesis and characterization.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.