The Thai Rath newspaper reported on an "Artificial Dental Root Project in Honour of the King" on October 20, 2009. The project aims to develop artificial dental roots to replace missing teeth and restore oral function, in honor of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej's dedication to improving public health. The project is led by the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) to apply tissue engineering techniques for developing the artificial roots.