March 12, 2013 -- Growing a replacement tooth from your own cells may be a step closer, according to new research.

It is still too early for use in people, but the technique involves taking stem cells and growing more of them to produce a very small, immature tooth, similar to what a tooth would look like when it starts to grow in an embryo.

"It's very immature and very small," says Paul Sharpe, the Dickinson professor of craniofacial biology at King’s College, London, who led the work. "These are transplanted directly into the mouth where they get their blood supply, and they start to grow and gradually form a complete tooth."

Although the technique is unlikely to allow scientists to grow a specific type of tooth, dentists would be able to shape the tooth crown according to its position in the jaw.