It is common to find patients in the Region of Murcia who are interested in new treatment alternatives that allow us to be conservative and, at the same time, guarantee a future of health and wellbeing.
In this context, the innovative dental clinics offer the possibility of extracting stem cells from dental pulp and conserve them so that, in the future, they can be used for organ regeneration or disease treatment, something that is already being worked on in nearby hospitals, such as the Virgen de la Arrixaca, for treating the effects of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)or even bone reconstruction in trauma cases.
Before discussing in this post whether it makes sense to extract and preserve them, it is important to understand the procedure for doing so and to analyse its pros and cons.
What are stem cells?
In this way, the stem cell present in the pulp of a tooth could, in the future, differentiate into a cell present in the kidney in the event of a liver problem, or into a bone marrow cell to treat cases of leukaemia.
We can find stem cells in different organs of our body, such as the umbilical cord or even fat tissue, some of which have already been used in cell therapy and regenerative medicine with successful results, although this is a field that still has great potential for development.
Compared to other locations, dental pulp stem cells have numerous advantages:
- Umbilical cord blood samples can only be obtained at the time of birth, while dental samples can be obtained at many points in time throughout life.
- Removing them is simple and does not require general anaesthesia, punctures or major surgery: just the extraction of a tooth that, for whatever reason, needs to be removed.
- They allow us to make use of extracted wisdom teeth, which were previously useless, or even milk teeth and premolars extracted for orthodontic reasons.
- They are sterile: the tooth ensures microbiological control of the pulp inside the tooth.
- The technology available to date allows these to be multiplied so that the sample to be stored is as large as possible.
Why store them?
Stem cells offer great health potential for the future, and having our own stem cells guarantees that, when the science is sufficiently developed, there will be no rejection of such a therapy, which will allow us to treat cardiac or neuronal problems...
Stem cells are the future of medicine, and that is why the European Medicine AgencyThe European Union is committed to their conservation, to the development of initiatives in this field and to the creation of new research that will allow us to move towards a future where human beings have control over diseases through science and stem cells.
What happens when I harvest my stem cells?
The state-of-the-art dental clinics offering this service can bring you many advantages:
- Safe storage, for a minimum period of 20 years, under controlled conditions and at a temperature below 130°C.
- Immediate availability of the cells, at any time, at the request of a medical professional who wants to use them to address a patient's condition that can be resolved by the use of stem cells.
- Contract with a widely recognised international cryobank, with the strictest international certifications that guarantee its seriousness and solvency.
What are the requirements?
Patients from Murcia interested in this health and wellness alternative for the future must have teeth in the following conditions:
– To be removed by prescription of your trusted dentistfor orthodontic reasons, in the case of temporary teeth that need to be extracted from the mouth, or even wisdom teeth that may cause discomfort to the patient
– That it is healthyno caries and no fractures due to previous trauma or blows in the patient's record
– To be kept intactmust not have any fillings, root canals or previous dental treatments, to ensure that the pulp is in perfect condition.
How is it done?
The first thing is contact a leading dental clinic in MurciaThe following steps will guide you through the next steps to successfully store your dental pulp stem cells:
- Determining the suitability of the tooth to be removed, drawing up a medical report and assessment by a qualified dentist.
- Signing of a three-way contract: dentist - cryobank - patient, clearly specifying:
- Length of time stem cells will be stored
- Characteristics of the cryobank
- Patient's rights
- Economic costs of extraction and storage
- After signing the contract and making the first payment, the patient must make the following payments:
- Serology, 1 to 7 days prior to collection
- Thorough oral cleansing to ensure a clean oral environment on the day of extraction
- Extraction of the tooth on a scheduled date, always from Monday to Wednesday, before 4 p.m., so that it can be planned to be sent to Switzerland under controlled conditions by cryogenic transport.
- Six months after the extraction, a new serology must be carried out.
- Once this has been done, the teeth will be processed in the chosen cryobankThe patient then receives a detailed report informing him or her of the characteristics of the stem cell sample obtained.
- The stem cells, stored in coded airtight vials, will then be cooled in a gaseous liquid nitrogen tank for 20 years, during which time the patient can request them through a doctor if he or she has a disease or pathology that needs to be cured by these cells.
Does it make sense to store dental pulp stem cells?
After all that we have explained, it seems unquestionable that yes, it is worth doing it, because of the great therapeutic possibilities that will open up in the future for you or your children, using your own tissue that will not generate rejections and will help you to treat pathologies such as:
– Progressive muscular dystrophy
Don't let another day go by and contact a state-of-the-art dental clinic now able to store its stem cells after orthodontic extraction, extraction of a wisdom tooth, or extraction of a temporary tooth.
