Abstract :
In the past few years, third molars have garnered great attention in regenerative medicine as a potential
source of pluripotent stem cells. They offer easy accessibility, plasticity coupled with less invasive
harvesting procedure in comparison to the traditional sources of stem cell but do not have the ethical issues
associated with other sources of stem cells. Various sources of dental stem cells include stem cells from
adult human dental pulp like that of third molars, stem cells from human primary exfoliated deciduous
teeth, periodontal ligament stem cells, and dental follicle Stem Cells from human third molars.
Dental pulp stem cells have mesenchymal stem cell like qualities namely differentiation into multiple
lineages and an inherent capacity to renew its own population. When exposed to specific stimuli, these
are capable of differentiating into neurons, adipocytes, osteocytes and chondrocytes, etc. hence allowing
applications in various systemic illnesses. Dental stem cells appear to retain their stem cell properties
following cryopreservation making their storage and mass application easy.
Keyword :
Stem cells, Dental pulp.