Stem cell fillings repair cavities and may prevent root canals

A huge breakthrough in modern dentistry allows dentists to fill cavities with stem cells that stimulate the teeth to regrow.

Discovered by researchers at the University of Nottingham and Harvard University, the tooth can be filled with this stem cell concoction via drill, just like traditional fillings.  Once filled, the stem cells stimulate the growth of dentin, the bony material that makes up the majority of the tooth.

“We have designed synthetic biomaterials that can be used similarly to dental fillings but can be placed in direct contact with pulp tissue to stimulate the native stem cell population for repair and regeneration of pulp tissue and the surrounding dentin,” Adam Celiz, a Marie Curie research fellow at the University of Nottingham, told Newsweek.

The Royal Society of Chemistry described it as a “new paradigm for dental treatments,” and harkens it as an end to the age of tooth decay.

Under old circumstances, an untreated cavity could cause an infection in the roots of the tooth; from there the infection can spread into your sinuses and even your brain, which can cause death.  This new treatment prevents the infection from getting ahold by regrowing the tooth rapidly and boxing it out.

Stem cells are amazing.