A few days ago, we echoed an investigation carried out by the United States National Center for Biotechnology Information, which revealed that Milk teeth are an excellent source of stem cells, which could be used in the future to fight certain diseases.
Although this information is not new, - since researchers have been working in this field for years - the news has generated a stir among families, which they wonder if it's really worth keeping baby teeth that children are falling, and under what conditions they should be stored.
We have spoken with Dr. Juan Carlos Pérez Varela, president of the Spanish Society of Orthodontics, who has clarified all doubts, and has shared with us his opinion regarding these important investigations.
According to the latest research, could we talk about guarantees in dental stem cell treatments?
Until a few years ago we knew that stem cells, those capable of dividing into more stem cells or becoming any other type of body cell, could be found in the bone marrow, in the umbilical cord and also in the amniotic fluid.
But in 2013, researchers from the National Institute of Health stated that The pulp of milk teeth is also a valuable source of adult stem cells, something that recent studies have confirmed.
In Babies and more Milk teeth, source of stem cells that could save their lives in the futureWe have asked Juan Carlos Pérez Varela his opinion about this type of research: Can we now state with total guarantee, the applications that these mother cells would have in the field of health?
"Milk teeth, and even the final teeth extracted (provided they are healthy), constitute a relatively easy source of obtaining adult stem cells, and it is hoped that in the future they may even become life insurance ".
"But although the investigations that are being carried out in this field are increasingly wide and hopeful, more needs to be done before clinically testing it in humans."
In Xataka Stem cell research: what it is and why medicine has changed forever"But it seems that adult stem cells may not be as versatile and durable as embryonic stem cells, and they may not be manipulated to produce all kinds of cells, which would limit the way in which adult stem cells could be used. to treat diseases ".
"On the other hand, we must bear in mind that adult stem cells are more likely to have alterations due to environmental problems, such as toxins or errors acquired by cells during replication. However, research has found that adult stem cells are more adaptable than previously thought. "
"In short, researchers expect that stem cell studies can help you learn more about how diseases occur (by observing the maturation of stem cells to form bone, heart or nerve cells and other organs and tissues), as well as to generate healthy cells to replace diseased cells (regenerative medicine), and to try new medications in terms of safety and efficacy " .
What treatments could be performed with dental stem cells?
We have all heard the important role that umbilical cord stem cells play in the cure of certain diseases. But what differences are there with respect to treatments performed with dental stem cells?
"Dental stem cells They could be used for the regeneration of muscles, skin, cartilage, bone, liver, teeth, nervous, adipose and cardiac tissue. Even a recent study has shown that they are capable of generating insulin. ".
"But nevertheless, umbilical cord stem cells they can only be used in the treatment of diseases of blood origin, such as leukemia, lymphomas ... There are several studies that suggest cord blood may contain other types of stem cells capable of producing specialized cells that do not belong to the blood, such as cells nervous But these findings, although encouraging, have not yet been fully accepted as more conclusive research is necessary. ".
Dental stem cells and cord stem cells: what advantages does one have over another?
In addition to the applications and treatments just mentioned, Dr. Pérez Varela points out the following advantages that dental stem cells have over those of the umbilical cord:
- Dental stem cells can multiply
"Dental stem cells can be multiplied in large quantities in the laboratory for use in any type of treatment. This cannot be done with umbilical cord cells, and in fact, sometimes their number is insufficient for treatments in adults.".
- Dental stem cells can be collected at any time
"Another advantage of stem cells of dental origin is that they can be collected at any time from the support tissues in the teeth or from the teeth themselves, whether permanent or temporary".
"Instead, stem cells from the umbilical duct can only be obtained at the time of the baby's birth".
In Xataka Stem cells and the revolution that never comes. What about one of the great hopes of science and medicine?But not all are positive aspects, and the preservation of dental stem cells also brings some disadvantages with respect to the conservation of cord cells:
- There are few dental stem cell banks
"Today, there are few banks of teeth and the price of their services is still very high. In addition, beyond five years, there are no guarantees that the stem cells are viable, although in this sense the same thing happens with umbilical cord cells ".
- There are not enough investigations of dental stem cells
"Of course, another major disadvantage of preserving dental stem cells is that today, although their applications are very promising, almost all of their uses are under investigation in the laboratory.".
Therefore, although dental stem cell treatments are very encouraging, today there are more inconveniences than preserving milk teeth, than their hypothetical benefits.How would you have to keep your baby teeth to take advantage of their stem cells?
In order to take advantage of the stem cells of milk teeth, these would have to be preserved in a certain way, and in addition, to do it as soon as possible after the fall of the tooth, to guarantee the viability of the stem cells.
In Babies and more How and when the baby teeth fall and the final ones come out1) Save them in a dental bank
"It is essential to properly store milk teeth in order to use any stem cell from them. Keeping these teeth at home is not the safest way nor does it guarantee the viability of adult stem cells in the teeth ".
"Thus, there are currently dental banks to preserve their stem cells. Although it is not a widespread practice, there are some dental banks in the US, most of the countries of Europe, Thailand, Japan and India. ".
If you are thinking of keeping your children's dental pieces, Dr. Pérez Varela recommends that you inform us correctly before doing so, making sure that the chosen dental bank has the corresponding accreditations and guarantees.
"These centers employ advanced technology to preserve and produce stem cells. The most popular method is cryopreservation at -196 ° C. Magnetic freezing or Cells Alive system is also a relatively common practice, which involves the use of a weak magnetic field to freeze and preserve the adult stem cells of the teeth. ".
2) Any tooth does not work
"Dental stem cells are found in the pulp of the tooth, but to take advantage of their virtues it is necessary that the tooth is healthy, without cavities or fillings, extract it well (do not wait until they fall alone, especially if they "dance too much", since the root is affected) and preserve it in a sterile place ".
In Babies and more Pulp necrosis, trauma and tooth breakage due to a stroke, how should we act?3) It must be done as soon as possible after extraction
"The dentist or maxillofacial surgeon should assess the suitability of the piece, and then we must hire the services of a company or specialized laboratory that sends a kit to the dentist who treats us to be able to cryopreserve the biological matter ".
"If possible, it is best to have the Pulp Kit Dental the day of extraction. But if it could not be, when the tooth is extracted it should be kept in milk in a closed container and refrigerated (not frozen) ".
"Then we would have to call the dental bank as soon as possible so that they are going to pick it up, since the ideal is to begin the process of extraction of the stem cells of the teeth no more than 48 hours after its fall ".
In summary, to cryopreserve the teeth we must take them to these centers as soon as possible after their fall, to avoid suffering damages that make it impossible to recover the adult stem cells they contain.Would you recommend that parents keep their children's baby teeth in this way?
"Currently, by normal general We do not recommend the preservation of teeth in these dental benches for many reasons:
- The high costs of cryopreservation of dental stem cells
- There is still a lot of research to do in order to apply it in the immediate future
- There are no guarantees that the stem cells of cryopreserved teeth are viable beyond 5 years later
"It is possible that in the future, when the teeth preservation techniques and their long-term viability improve (if it happens), and when there are important clinical applications demonstrated in humans with adult stem cells of the teeth, it is worth worth preserving teeth in these centers".
Acknowledgments | Juan Carlos Pérez Varela
