Advancements in Regenerative Dentistry and the Utilization of Dental Stem Cells
摘要
Dental stem cells (DSCs) have emerged as a highly promising cell source for craniofacial tissue engineering due to their accessibility, proliferative capacity, and robust regenerative and immunomodulatory properties. Derived from multiple dental tissues, including dental pulp, exfoliated deciduous teeth, apical papilla, periodontal ligament, and dental follicle, DSCs can be collected through minimally invasive or routine dental procedures, offering practical advantages over non-dental mesenchymal stem cells. This chapter outlines the current clinical workflow for DSC-based therapies, encompassing tissue harvesting, transport, biobanking via cryopreservation, in vitro expansion, characterization, and delivery using scaffold-based or scaffold-free strategies. By synthesizing current clinical evidence, this chapter summarizes the recent advances in regenerative endodontic therapy (RET), highlighting two principal approaches: cell-homing techniques that leverage endogenous stem cell recruitment and DSC transplantation approaches that introduce exogenous stem cells to promote pulp regeneration. Further, the scope also includes evolving clinical applications of DSCs in both periodontal reconstruction and craniofacial bone regeneration. Collectively, this chapter provides an updated understanding of DSC biology, clinical processing, and therapeutic applications, offering clinicians and researchers a comprehensive perspective on emerging regenerative strategies for dental and craniofacial tissues.