Use of Stem Cells Coming to Cosmetic Dentistry

Weâ€™ve recently discussed the different types of dental implants and love to encourage our patients to practice good habits for their teeth and gums, because once theyâ€™re gone, theyâ€™re gone. Or so weâ€™ve been told so for decades. However, with this amazing new treatment, it may be possible to regenerate the bone found in teeth with a seemingly simple procedure.

It seems that stem cell therapy, in particular how they are harvested, is at the core of scientific and medical debates, as well as part of this new treatment for tooth enamel. However, this amazing technique involves no donor stem cells and instead spurs the growth of stem cells already found in teeth.

David J. Mooney, a professor of bioengineering at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, has found that applying a low powered laser to these dental cells has caused them to grow and regenerate the tooth enamel previously thought to be impossible to do so.

In addition to getting these cells to form dentin, the hard tissue that makes up teeth, they have come up with a precise model with how to do it. â€œOur treatment modality does not introduce anything new to the body, and lasers are routinely used in medicine and dentistry, so the barriers to clinical translation are low,â€ said Mooney.

Currently still in the animal testing phase, the team hopes to take this new technology to humans soon, and ultimately, cosmetic dentistry practices everywhere.

The new procedure is also an amazing step for stem cell and low-level light therapy if and when it is able to be used in other applications, such as regenerating broken bones or to heal wounds. Because this treatment utilizes a patientâ€™s own stem cells, the controversy surrounding this particular procedure should be low to non-existent.