Centre for Distinctive Dentistry Blog - Dr. Ned Nippoldt

You've probably heard about the link between poor dental health and an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and premature birth, but what you may not be aware of is that your teeth contain valuable stem cells, which have characteristics similar to embryonic stem cells. These stem cells can be collected from primary (baby) teeth when the teeth are shed, from extracted wisdom teeth of young adults, or from extracted molars.

At this point in time, dental stem cells have been used to regenerate lost bone in the jaw and to treat loss of periodontal ligaments damaged by periodontal disease. (The periodontal ligament is what holds the tooth in place in the jaw. Damage to the periodontal ligament often leads to tooth loss.) Researchers anticipate that in the future dental stem cells may be used to:
- regenerate pulp tisues in teeth needing root canals
- correct defects in the skull
-produce new bone

In addition, dental stem cells may someday be used to:
- create new replacement teeth for those who have lost their teeth
- treat damaged corneas in the eyes
- treat liver fibrosis
- treat myocardial infarction
- treat muscular dystrophy
- help with insulin production in diabetics
- treat stroke victims
- treat spinal cord victims

Keeping all the benefits of dental stem cells in mind, in the future we may find that tooth fairy's may choose to gather baby teeth for cryopreservation for use in the patient's future.

If you live in the Woodbury, St. Paul, Minneapolis, MN, or Hudson, WI, area and are looking for a dentist to help with your dental health, please give Dr. Nippoldt a call at The Centre for Distinctive Dentistry (651-739.8573).

Labels: General Dentistry, Periodontal Disease