Treating cavities with Stem Cell Fillings

Stem cell fillings can allow your teeth to repair themselves and could eliminate the need for root canals and dentures. Dentists could soon start treating cavities with stem cell fillings and can help regenerate dentin right in your teeth. Dentin is a tissue harder than bone and forms the major portion of a tooth. It's located above an area called the dental pulp. The stem cells are injected into the tooth and hardened with ultraviolet light (UV). The hardened cells then stimulate the damaged tooth to heal itself. Another approach of regenerating teeth involves the use of laser. Beam of low-power laser can regenerate damaged teeth and eliminate the need for replacing them. A low-dose of laser focused on the damaged part of the tooth. Induces stem cells to regenerate dentin. The laser activates a special protein called TGF-beta 1. TGF-beta 1 is a growth factor that regulates cell growth and differentiation. Allowing your tooth to heal itself an current procedures of treating cavities involve drilling out the decay and replacing with synthetic fillings. Existing dental fillings are toxic to cells. They are also incompatible with the pulp tissue inside the tooth. Up to 15% of those procedures will fail which will lead to a root canal to remove the tooth's pulp. Root canal is a painful procedure and it involves removing blood vessels, nerves and connecting tissue. In cases of dental disease or injury, a root canal is required to remove the infected tissues. Unlike these traditional treatments, stem cell fillings are more effective. The bio-materials are in direct contact with the pulp tissue and allowing it to easily repair and regenerate the tissue. Further studies are still needed approaching clinical trials.