Stem Cells Teeth
Teeth, or more specifically wisdom teeth that are generally removed by most dentists around the age of 20, have recently been determined to have the potential to be used as stem cell sources for development into various tissues and bone structures by Japanese researchers. Although the stem cells harvested from these teeth may not have the flexibility of some other stem cells (such as embryotic stem cells) they do allow for a convenient, ready source of stem cells for treatment and usage by medical professionals worldwide without the ethical stigma normally associated with stem cell usage.
Found to be viably harvestable by either utilizing a biological “pulp” formed from ground wisdom teeth or harvested directly from the teeth that have not been removed the mysenchymal stem cells have proven effective in generating a number of different biological structures, however pushing the envelope of their flexibility has been difficult due to the fact that the stem cells are harvested from pre-determined anatomical structures to begin with. This means that utilizing these stem cells in brain nerve regeneration, for example, may not yield the most desirable results, however facial bone regrowth may be a high probability.
One of the areas in particular that these new stem cells have shown excellent results in is the regrowth of teeth that may have been lost or damaged. Harvesting the stem cells and then programming them to regrow certain calcium structures has allowed researchers to actually replace lost teeth with real, natural structures, something that has been only theoretical in previous years and is a developmental breakthrough for those in the dentistry field.
What this means for most individuals is that the use of dentures and other false teeth may soon go by the wayside as real teeth can be simply regrown rather than lost forever. Combined with proper dental hygiene as well as many other government-driven oral protective measures (such as fluoride being added to drinking water and toothpaste to help fight tooth decay) the current “nexter” generation (those who are the offspring of the Baby Boomers) may be the first generation to have the majority of the people go from birth to death without losing one tooth to bad hygiene (though of course physical trauma is still a major concern for many and the primary result of lost teeth for professional athletes such as hockey players).
Currently studies are continuing into the actual usefulness the new stem cells may have in helping to rebuild different body structures and scientists are hopeful that they will be able to see actual human application in a few years. While this may seem quite a long time for most people a time frame of a few years from discovery to actual human usage is quite short, especially in terms of stem cell development. Still, since these cells are easily harvested from what is most often discarded material (as wisdom teeth are commonly simply disposed of after removal) as well as able to be directly harvested most researchers feel that there will be little restrictions placed on their exploration of the usage and patients should see real-world usage in under a decade.
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