I can promise you that cryopreservation of stem cells is not science fiction. Scientists believe that baby teeth may one day save lives because they contain stem cells that aid in the regeneration of different body components. Taking this seriously, some parents have begun to save their kids’ teeth for later. We refer to this as tooth banking.
Stem cells: what are they?
The cells from which all of our organs and tissues grow are called stem cells. Their capacity to divide, heal, and rejuvenate the human body sets them apart. Two primary sources of stem cells are as follows:
Embryos: Also referred to as embryonic stem cells, they are created during the blastocyst stage of embryological development.
Adult stem cells, also known as adult tissue
Both are distinguished by their strength and capacity to differentiate into different cell types, such as bone or muscle. Known as SHED cells, these stem cells are found in baby teeth and differ slightly from the other types. According to Dr. Pamela Robey, head of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research’s branch on craniofacial and skeletal diseases, “the SHED cells seem to make not only dentin but something that is similar to bone.”
Biological insurance
As a kind of biological insurance, baby teeth can be preserved and are a source of stem cells similar to bone marrow. However, there is still disagreement among scientists, physicians, and dentists over its current value.
“At the moment, I don’t believe it makes sense. That’s what I personally think,” Dr. Robey explains. “That’s not to say that someone might later devise a technique that would greatly benefit them,”
Among the possible uses for stem cells are:
Dental pulp regeneration
complete tooth regeneration
Repair diseased or chemotherapy-damaged cells
Treat blood-related conditions include multiple myeloma, leukemia, lymphoma, and neuroblastoma.
The final two items on that list have not yet been tested using stem cells from baby teeth, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be in the future.
According to Dr. Jade Miller, president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, “the science is strong enough to show it’s not science fiction.” “I want to give my grandchildren the chance to have those options, and there will be a significant application.”
“Tooth banking,” also known as baby tooth cryopreservation,
Dentists and stem cell researchers have collaborated to develop stem cell banks for teeth, but there is still much to learn. ToothBank and Store-A-Tooth are two examples of these. The teeth are shipped to their lab, where the stem cells are extracted. They then keep them in a culture so that the cells can proliferate. Following that, those cells are removed and placed in cryopreservation.
Prepare yourself for some severe sticker shock if you want to store your kids’ teeth: Store-A-Tooth charges an upfront fee of $1,747 and an annual fee of $120. Researchers are unable to forecast when the technology and research necessary to employ such stem cells will be available. This implies that you might invest a lot of money on something that will never pay off.
More Research on Stem Cells Is Required
There have been some positive developments, such as a 2018 University of Pennsylvania trial. The experiment showed that stem cells from newborn teeth can be used to create dental tissue (5,6). The majority of specialists concur that it is still much too soon to think of using dental pulp stem cells as a source of cells for tissue regeneration or replacement.
However, scientists already know that tooth pulp can become bone, so the possibility is there. We may be getting closer to this emerging technology’s full potential as more study is conducted.
