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Stem cells Tomorrow's dentistry today

Parul Sharma and Ametesh Dutta

For many centuries till now, scientists are trying their best to known how certain animals have ability to regenerate missing parts of their bodies. Humans actually share this ability with animals like the starfish and the newt (aquatic amphibian). Our bodies are constantly regenerating blood, skin, and other tissues. Human cells that have the potential to develop into other cell types within the body are stem cells and thereby repair injured cells. In the upcoming events of development in the field of dentistry, stem cells establish its significant role in Tooth/Root regeneration, Salivary gland regeneration, tongue regeneration, dentin-enamel regeneration, mandibular condyle regeneration, etc. Most research is directed toward regeneration of damaged dentin, pulp, resorbed root, periodontal regeneration and repair perforations. Tooth regeneration to replace the traditional dental implants is also a new area of concern to many scientists. Dental stem cells, tissue-engineering applications can be used to promote more rapid healing of oral wounds and ulcers. Also, the use of gene-transfer methods to manipulate salivary proteins and oral microbial colonization patterns are promising and possible through stem cells. The term stem cell coined back in the 1908 when it was first proposed for scientific use by Russian histologist Alexander Maksimov in 1908 till 1999 when adult epithelial stem cell niche was first demonstrated via organ culture of the apical end of the mouse incisor.