Imagine losing a baby tooth or getting a wisdom tooth removed—and instead of discarding it, preserving it could one day save your life. Welcome to the revolutionary world of dental stem cell banking, a cutting-edge advancement in regenerative medicine.

What Are Dental Stem Cells?

Dental stem cells are a type of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) found in the soft tissue (pulp) inside teeth. These cells are similar to the stem cells found in bone marrow and have the remarkable ability to differentiate into a variety of cell types including:

Bone
Cartilage
Muscle
Neural (nerve)
Fat

This versatility makes them promising candidates for treating a wide range of conditions, from spinal cord injuries to heart disease and even diabetes.

Why Dental Stem Cells?

Stem cell therapy is rapidly advancing, and having access to your own stem cells—especially young and healthy ones—could open the door to personalized medicine in the future. Here’s why dental stem cells are particularly valuable:

Non-invasive collection: Extracting stem cells from teeth is less invasive than bone marrow extraction.
Easily accessible: Lost baby teeth, extracted wisdom teeth, or orthodontic extractions are common sources.
High regenerative potential: Especially in younger teeth, the pulp is rich in viable stem cells.

The Dental Stem Cell Banking Process

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how dental stem cell banking typically works:

1. Tooth Collection

A healthy tooth is extracted—this could be a baby tooth that is naturally falling out, a wisdom tooth removal or a planned extraction by a dentist.

2. Immediate Preservation

The tooth must be placed into a special transport medium provided by the stem cell bank. This keeps the cells viable during transport to the laboratory. Time is critical; the tooth should reach the lab within 24–48 hours.

3. Isolation and Processing

At the lab, dental technicians:

Extract the pulp from the tooth
Isolate the stem cells under sterile conditions
Test the cells for viability and contamination

4. Cryopreservation

Once processed, the viable stem cells are cryopreserved—frozen at extremely low temperatures (usually -196°C in liquid nitrogen). In this state, they can be stored for decades without degrading.

5. Storage and Access

The stem cells are securely stored in the stem cell bank. If needed for future treatment, they can be thawed and used in various regenerative therapies.

Current and Future Applications:

Though many applications are still in clinical trial phases, stem cell therapy is already being explored for:

Regenerating dental tissues (gums, jawbone)
Treating autoimmune diseases
Repairing spinal cord injuries
Heart tissue regeneration
Managing neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s
With research accelerating, dental stem cells may one day be instrumental in organ regeneration, diabetes management, or stroke recovery.

Who Should Consider It?

Dental stem cell banking is especially recommended for:

Children shedding baby teeth (younger cells = higher regenerative capacity)
Young adults undergoing wisdom tooth extraction
Families with a history of genetic or degenerative diseases

At Teeth Care Centre, the best dental hospital in Ahmedabad, Dr. Pankti Patel, the chief dentist of Teeth Care Centre Dental Hospital, guides you in the best ways possible about dental stem cell banking. We at Teeth Care Centre have established a junction with a renowned stem cell bank so that we can facilitate all our patients with the extraction of stem cells from the dental pulp of milk teeth and/or from the pulp of wisdom teeth. If you have missed a chance to preserve cells during your birth, then tooth stem cell banking is the alternative for you.

Dental stem cell banking represents a frontier in healthcare that has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach oral health and beyond. By harnessing the power of our own cells, we can unlock a new era of personalized medicine and regenerative therapies. As research in this field progresses, dental stem cell banking may become a cornerstone in the future of healthcare, offering individuals a proactive approach to safeguarding their well-being.