Stem cell therapy is touted as a potential cure for some of the most devastating medical conditions plaguing humanity, including blindness, paralysis and Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists now say stem cells may be a viable way to cure and repair tooth decay.

Researchers writing in the journal Science Reports tested a drug call Tideglusib, (tide-GLU-sib) which has been tested as a potential Alzheimer’s treatment, for use on damaged teeth in mice. The scientists applied a tiny, biodegradable sponge soaked with the medication onto the tooth’s damaged area. Over a few weeks, new dentine, the mineral layer beneath tooth enamel, grew over the damage.

Stem cells often are extracted and manipulated before they are used in stem cell therapy. Although that doesn’t happen in this technique, the scientists say the drug activates the stem cells to more effectively perform their natural healing work.

Dentine is more durable than a repair done with another material, such as gold or cement. And a tiny sponge applied to the area seems much more pleasant and less invasive than the current approach to cavities: numbing shots, drilling, filling with a material such as cement and then grinding the new filling smooth.

Will we eventually see a day when dental fillings are no more? Perhaps, but don’t get too excited yet. The next step is to conduct a study of the technique on the larger teeth of rats. As with any new procedure, use of this technique for teeth requires extensive testing, including human testing, then approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Until then, be patient, and don’t stop brushing your teeth!