Scientists believe that dental stem cells hold the power to heal. Could they be the future of medical care? In this post we’ll take a look at dental stem cells, and the potential they may hold.
All About Stem Cells
First of all, what are stem cells? Stem cells are the cells from which every other cell in the body stems. Stem cells divide and create more stem cells, or other, more specific cells, such as brain cells or blood cells. Stem cells have come up a lot in the news in recent years. Science is evolving to show that stem cells are capable of doing a lot of good. They have shown potential to help cure disease, generate new, healthy cells, and test medicines.
Dental Stem Cells
The source of the dental stem cells must be a healthy living tooth, so a baby tooth or wisdom tooth is the best bet. The tooth pulp, which is the living part of your tooth, contains the stem cells. In the case of dental stem cells, they eventually divide to create the enamel, dentin, pulp, and nerves.
Saving the Cells
Although the science is still progressing, there are services, such as Tooth Bank, that already facilitate the process of storing your or your child’s dental stem cells. With a service like Tooth Bank, the tooth will be extracted by the dentist, then you’ll send it off to Tooth Bank, whose scientists will preserve the cells for future use. Services to store the cells come at a price, but the life-saving benefits may prove to be worth the cost–only time will tell.
Smiles Dental Can Keep Your Teeth Healthy
Your long-term health is important, but in the short term, make sure you have your next appointment booked with our team here at Smiles Dental. We offer quality family dental care at a number of Washington and Oregon locations. Contact us today!Contact Us