stem cells

Could Stem Cells Replace Root Canals?Researcher Explores Revolutionary Dental Treatment

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A groundbreaking study led by Dr. Camila Sabatini, an associate professor of restorative dentistry at the University at Buffalo, could revolutionize dental care by potentially eliminating the need for root canals. Dr. Sabatini, a recipient of the prestigious Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program award, is investigating innovative therapies that utilize stem cells to regenerate damaged teeth. The Limitations of Traditional Root Canals Root canals, a common dental procedure, involve removing the infected nerve of a tooth and sealing the canals. While effective in addressing the infection, this procedure has significant drawbacks. The removal of the nerve weakens the tooth, making it more susceptible to fracture. A Novel Approach: Harnessing the Power of Stem Cells Dr. Sabatini’s research aims to overcome these limitations by harnessing the regenerative power of stem cells. Specifically, the study focuses on utilizing stem cells derived … Read more

A Breakthrough in Nerve Repair: Implications for Wisdom Teeth Removal

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Understanding the Risks of Wisdom Teeth Removal Wisdom teeth removal can sometimes lead to complications, including nerve injuries. The nerves that control sensation and movement in the face pass near the wisdom teeth, and damage to these nerves can result in numbness, tingling, or pain. Traditional Approaches and Their Limitations While traditional methods for repairing nerve injuries have improved over time, they can still be invasive and may not always achieve complete nerve function. Autografts, where a nerve from another part of the body is used to replace the damaged nerve, are often the standard of care but can have limitations. A Promising New Approach Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine have made significant progress in developing a novel technique for nerve repair using stem cells derived from gum tissue. This groundbreaking approach offers potential benefits … Read more

Using Stem Cells from Teeth to Regrow Injured Teeth

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An interesting article titled “Deciduous autologous tooth stem cells regenerate dental pulp after implantation into injured teeth,” by Xuan et al. appears in Science Translational Medicine (vol. 10, no. 455, 2018, Published August 22, 2018). The article discusses the results of a clinical trial using stem cells extracted from baby teeth to regrow tissue in teeth that have been injured. In the past articles on this site have discussed storing wisdom teeth stem cells with the hopes that they could one day be used to heal other body tissues. While this study did not use stem cells from wisdom teeth, but instead stem cells from baby teeth, it helps demonstrate some of the possibilities that may exist in the future. In the study by Xuan et al., the authors were motivated by some previous studies with mice. A further motivation … Read more

Researchers Find And Harvest Stem Cells In Wisdom Teeth

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There’ve been great advancements in how stem cells could be used to treat disease in the future, such as how wisdom teeth stem cells could repair corneas in the eye. One of the latest news stories is how a team of dentists and engineers from the University Of Nevada in Las Vegas have found ways to harvest stem cells located in wisdom teeth, with the idea that these could later be used to heal damaged cells in the body. Why is this important? It offers benefits to the medical world while making wisdom teeth more useful than ever before. Many Extracted Teeth Are Still Healthy Many people have teeth pulled out. In fact, in the U.S., research has found that around 75-80 percent of people have wisdom teeth removed because they’re troublesome. However, the team of dentists and engineers from Las Vegas has found that many … Read more

Wisdom Teeth Stem Cells Could be Used For The Eye

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A new interesting study has shown that wisdom teeth stem cells could be turned into cells of the eye’s cornea. The stem cells could one day be used to repair cornea scaring due to infection or injury. Thus wisdom teeth stem cells could play a role in helping to treat corneal blindness which affects millions of people in the world. It is typically treated with transplants of donor corneas. Of course, with any transplants, shortages can occur and rejection of donor tissue can occur. This can result in permanent vision loss. Using one patient’s own stem cells from their wisdom teeth would avoid these issues. The research was conducted in association with the University of Pittsburgh. Their Department of Opthalmology showed that stem cells of dental pulp obtained from a wisdom tooth extraction could be turned into corneal stromal cells … Read more