Dental Breakthrough—Restoring Bones and Teeth Using Adult (NOT Embryonic) Stem Cells

Keith Peters / Aimee Herd reporting : Feb 22, 2005
FNIF

Researchers are excited over the prospects of a new discovery in the restoration of bones and teeth using adult stem cells. They have found that bone marrow stem cells, under the right conditions, have the ability to make cartilage. “What we're finding,” says Dr. Mary McDougall, president-elect of the American Association for Dental Research, “is that actually baby teeth and extracted third molars are a wonderful source for adult stem cells that have applications to a large number of tissues and focusing now on cartilage, bone fat, dentin enamel, and periodontal ligament.”