Harvesting of stem cells and preserving them as insurance
against a possible future need by the cell donor is now widely
practiced. Until recently, however, there were just three
sources from which stem cells could be obtained – bone marrow,
adipose or fat cells and blood. While the first two sources
involve highly invasive procedures, the latter requires a
complex concentration and extraction process to isolate the stem
cells. Recently, research conducted by America’s National
Institute of Health has revealed the presence of stem cells in
the pulp of teeth form infants, children and adults. The
discovery has led to a brand new role for the dentist and new
hope for many dental patients who may, one day, require some
form of stem cell therapy. It has also led to the establishment
of a world-wide project known as StemSave. The project is
designed to recruit the support of dentists willing to
participate in the collection of healthy dental pulp from
patients that wish to bank their stem cell material for possibl