For dentist Songtao Shi, it all happened by accident: "The amount of tissue was tiny, but I did a stem cell isolation and extracted a small number of cells. They grew slowly at first, but three days later there were so many; I couldn't believe it!" Shi saw further opportunity through his young daughter: "If there was a birthday party, I was always there, collecting teeth." These isolated stem cells were a new breed, unlike other types that have been found in infants' umbilical cord blood or stem cells found in adults from isolated skin, hair or blood. There's also no legal roadblock, as the teeth are usually removed naturally.

Upon further research into these aptly-named Stem Cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth (SHED), Dr. Shi found that these cells actually lived longer and were more robust than adult's. Shi moved forward on studying the regenerative power these teeth possessed when cultivated early.

One of the first clinical trials to play with the stem cells involved treating lupus patients with mesenchymal stem cells. The patients also happened to have gum disease, and it was here that the SHED stem cells were able to be put into use. Results were astounding—the lupus patients had lengthy remissions of all their symptoms after exposure from SHED. Shi hopes that the stem cells may be able to help correct diabetes, heart disease and even some forms of cancer.

More clinical studies are in the works, including one in China that concerns stem cells from dental pulp and testing it to see if the periodontal ligament has the ability to regrow itself through the use of the dental pulp stem cells.

The thrilling scientific research is exciting for the industry, but it might cause damage to another area—the Tooth Fairy. Much like freezing one's reproductive material, parents can take Shi's research into their own hands. For an annual fee, there's Tooth Bank, a company based in Indiana that will work with their dentist to gather their children's baby or wisdom teeth and store the dental stem cells for later use at their facility. The stem cells are direct match for the child, meaning that they can be used later on in life to regenerate tissue. The business states that if and when the stem cells are required, they will multiply them free of charge.

It is studies and advancements such as these that further demonstrate just how important it is to take care of children's deciduous teeth.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this, or any case study post in Incisor should never be considered a proper replacement for necessary training and/or education regarding adult oral conscious sedation. Regulations regarding sedation vary by state. This is an educational and informational piece. DOCS Education accepts no liability whatsoever for any damages resulting from any direct or indirect recipient's use of or failure to use any of the information contained herein. DOCS Education would be happy to answer any questions or concerns mailed to us at 106 Lenora Street, Seattle, WA 98121. Please print a copy of this posting and include it with your question or request.

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The information contained in this, or any case study post in Incisor, should never be considered a proper replacement for necessary training and/or education regarding adult oral conscious sedation. Regulations regarding sedation vary by state. This is an educational and informational piece. DOCS Education accepts no liability whatsoever for any damages resulting from any direct or indirect recipient's use of or failure to use any of the information contained herein. DOCS Education would be happy to answer any questions or concerns mailed to us at 3250 Airport Way S, Suite 701 | Seattle, WA 98134. Please print a copy of this posting and include it with your question or request.
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