When you hear about stem cells, you probably think of the controversy surrounding the topic. After all, this subject does polarize many people. However, there is a source of stem cells that is completely harmless and shouldn't cause much controversy at all — the teeth.

One of the current trends in dentistry is banking stem cells from teeth. Parents often choose to do this when children lose their first baby teeth or when adolescents and young adults have their wisdom teeth removed. The process of saving the stem cells is simple, and dentists may later use the cells for tooth restoration or other utilizations.

Learn more about how the process works and what it can accomplish, and you may never think of the term "stem cell" the same way again.

How are stem cells from teeth saved?

There several stem cell banks available. Many dental offices choose to partner with a lab to make the process easy on their patients.

The labs provide a special package or box to place the tooth or teeth in for shipping. When the laboratory receives the package, a technician will process the teeth and remove the stem cells. Then, the cells are frozen and stored in a preservation facility.

What can stem cells do?

Research into stem cells is still in its infancy. However, much of the controversy over stem cells occurs because it is believed these cells could be the secret to curing certain types of cancers and even helping to regrow organs that are lost or damaged. Talk to someone who is "for" stem cell research, and you might wind up thinking stem cells are the key to immortality.

However, from a dental standpoint, there is one big benefit.

While there are many different ways to repair teeth artificially, returning teeth to predamaged condition is more difficult. Stem cells could prove to be the one way that makes it possible to regrow damaged roots and facilitate repair.

Since dental stem cells are easy to obtain and store, it only makes sense to investigate this process. Research is still being done, but as time goes by, stem cell-based tooth repair will likely become more common and may prove to be the best way to help dental patients look and feel their best.

Stem cells for tooth reattachment

Dental researchers are working with mice and trying to see if stem cells are a potential way to reattach teeth that have fallen out or potentially regrow entirely new teeth. Right now, the studies are using cells from ligaments in mice, but the hopes are that banked cells from the teeth could be used in the future.

While this particular test was unsuccessful, there were many positives in the process, and it is hoped that future tests may have a better result. If dentists were able to attach teeth with stem cells, those who lost teeth due to accident or injury would have more options other than standard implants or dentures.

The first step in any future stem cell-based tooth repair, reattachment or regrowth is capturing and saving the cells themselves. While this is usually completed through an outside lab, this can actually be a profit center for dental offices in the long run — since it will open the door for potential procedures in the future that may take the place of tooth extraction.

Because of this, it is worthwhile for dental professionals to stay in touch with current research on the subject.