Current overview on stem cells in dentistry

Abstract

In recent times, stem cell therapy has developed as an advanced and much more promising scientific research topic, and also evoked great expectations in development of new treatment modalities. The two crucial properties of stem cells i.e., the capacity to self-regenerate for a long-period without senescence and pluripotency, the ability to divide into one or more types of specialized cells, makes it a very emerging and demanding tool of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The aim of stem cell-based treatments is to restore normal anatomy and function of damaged teeth or their components through a regenerative process. The goals of regenerative dentistry include regeneration of pulp tissues, continued root formation, assisted transplantation and replantation, root bioengineering, reconstruction of periodontal tissue, and tissue engineering of the pulp-dentin complex. In order to obtain stem cells from dental tissue, it is necessary to establish appropriate methods for obtaining, isolating, culturing, and replicating stem cells. One of the most commonly stored stem cells is SHEDs. This is because they are readily available and similar to cord blood cells. SHED banking is not subject to the same ethical constraints as embryonic stem cells and provides individuals and their immediate family with an autologous source of stem cells. New approaches should first be tested in subcutaneous or renal capsule implants, followed by confirmation of results in root canal models to identify problems and reduce costs.