Stem Cell Therapy - The future of dentistry | AIMS Dentistry
For ages man have desired renewal of permanent teeth. How
wonderful it could have been if we could have an infinite set of teeth like
sharks.
Stem cell therapy is a step forward in that direction. When
implemented successfully, it'll open new avenues not just in the world of
dentistry but in other areas like connective tissue disorders, Alzheimer's,
cancer treatment, bone fractures etc.
The application of stem
cell therapy is universal. But what is it all about?
Stem cells are the primitive cells that have the capacity to
multiply and differentiate into any mature cell. There has been a wide spread
awareness regarding cryogenically preserving the umbilical cord for its stem
cells for future use.
Stem cells are of two
types: embryonic and adult stem cells.
Adult stem cells can be harvested from bone marrow, placenta,
synovial membrane, adipose tissue, liver, and even teeth. These cells have the
capability to multiply and differentiate into specialized cells such as blood
cells, cartilage, bone, etc.
Similarly, periodontal ligament stem cells can be used in
periodontal regeneration. These cells exhibit a higher rate of proliferation as
compared to cultured bone marrow stromal stem cells.
Clinical application of
stem cell therapy
Mesenchymal stem cells have the potential to regenerate
mammalian dental tissue that will be a huge breakthrough in the future.
Cultured dental pulp stem cells can be developed into bioengineered teeth,
having well developed pulp chambers, odontoblasts, predentin, dentin, and even
morphologically correct enamel organ. It has been demonstrated that dental pulp
stem cells are capable of generating a reparative dentin like structure
directly on the surface of human dentin.
In gene-enhanced periodontal regeneration, the regenerative
property of periodontal ligament stem cells is regained to initiate the
formation of both dental and periodontal attachment tissues. It's simply
mimicking the natural process that occurs during development.
On success, it'll be a whole new experience. Teeth will regain
the power to repair themselves and tooth extractions can be followed by growth
of new dental tissue. Even though this technology will take considerable time
to develop, it's certainly not a distant futuristic dream.
Comments
Post a Comment