Researchers at Georgia Tech in the US have identified the gene sequence which allow Cichlid fish to re-grow teeth they have lost during their lives.
It is hoped that the discovered will be another important step in understanding how to replicate this ability in humans, although it is understood that any such breakthrough would be well into the future.
Dr Todd Streelman, a primary researcher on the gene sequencing project, noted: "To truly understand any part of the body, you must know how it was originally designed."
Therefore, he surmised this breakthrough could hold the key to growing new teeth for people who have lost theirs in years to come.
Elsewhere, scientists from Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany recently discovered that white wine can have a detrimental impact on tooth enamel and heavy drinkers can be more prone to developing sensitive teeth or tooth decay as a result.