Artificial Ivory                                                                                

                                                                                                                               

       A paper published in 2002 has disclosed that teeth have been successfully grown in mice. 

 

(see; Journal of Dental Research, October, 2002; Tissue Engineering of Complex Tooth Structures on Biodegradable Polymer Scaffolds, C.S. Young, S. Terada, J.P. Vacanti, M. Honda, J.D. Bartlett & P.C. Yelick; Harvard-Forsyth Department of Oral Biology, Forsyth Institute (Boston), Dept of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Dept of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nagoya University, Japan). 

 

       This is a major technological breakthrough in the understanding of the biology and physiology of the growth of teeth. It is proposed that this technology be applied to the growth in vitro (test tube) of artificial ivory. 

 

       While this application would not be simple, easy or quick to realize, it would seem that, at least in theory, it should be possible. The resulting ivory would be identical to real ivory except that the quality would tend to be better (no damage from usage). The ivory could be made to be unique by introducing a chemical during growth which would make the ivory visible under ultraviolet light. Sizes with roughly square cross sections could be produced. Marbled ivory should be possible in many different colors (or with several intermixed colors). 

 

       Aside from the usefulness of the end product as ivory, the existence an ability to make artificial ivory would tend to eliminate or greatly reduce the poaching of elephants for their tusks.   

 

                                                                               

 

 

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