-1751465703046.webp)
Most of us get our wisdom teeth removed and why wouldn't we? They are annoying, painful and often announce themselves at the most uncomfortable of times. According to the Journal of Applied Dental Sciences, 70% of the population in India complain of severe to mild pain during the emergence of wisdom tooth, which usually happens at the fag end of your teenage. However, a groundbreaking research suggests, apart from being a pain in the mouth, these wisdom teeth (third molars) may actually be ‘Medical Gold”.
Also Read: 9 Common Causes Of Crooked Teeth And Effective Straightening Options
-1751466128440.jpg)
What Are Wisdom Teeth?
Third molars, otherwise known as wisdom teeth, are leftovers from our ancestors who required additional teeth to help grind tougher foods for them. Our modern diets consist of more tender foods and our jaw sizes are smaller than our ancestors, which has made third molars problematic and certainly impacted or misaligned. There may be some limited indications for wisdom teeth, for example, for use in transplantation, but most people would agree that they can provide more problems than they can solve.
Top Stories
-1751352905978.jpg)
-1751527287915.png)
Harvesting Stem Cells From Teeth
Millions of people remove their wisdom teeth with the help of a medical procedure and these teeth end up in the heaps of bio-waste that is later discarded. However, now, researchers are claiming that we could harvest stem cells from these third molars and those stem cells might help treat Neuronal degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s Disease; chronic heart conditions such as congestive heart failure and chronic ischemic heart disease; periodontal disease and to grow replacement teeth and bone.
What It Means For Future Treatment
Dr. Gaskon Ibarretxe, an associate professor in the Cell Biology and Histology Department of the University of the Basque Country, headed the promising research where pre‑clinical studies have continued to show that dental‑pulp cells function in sort of a similar fashion to adult stem cells, because they replace lost dopamine‑making neurons and ease motor symptoms for rodent models of Parkinson’s disease. Similarly, in research for Alzheimer’s disease, pulp-derived cells also continue to secrete growth factors that protect synapses, and potentially slow toxic protein build-up. A review article published in 2024 laid out that pulp cells help clear amyloid plaques and reduce inflammation in the brain, an important finding showing promise. The clinical momentum is starting to gain traction; Nature Medicine recently reported on early phases of a trial in Jiangsu, China where stem‑cell implants in people survived and released dopamine in people with Parkinson’s disease. Those early‑phases of a trial utilized embryonic lines for preparing stem cells, however, dental stem-cells may produce similar results without the implications of using embryonic cells. Ibarretxe's team was successful in converting pulp cells into electrically responsive neuron-like cells, capable of generating the voltage spikes utilized by actual neurons for communication. "That jump from marker expression to genuine electrical activity is essential, because damaged brain circuits need cells that can send signals," Ibarretxe said in a public statement.
Also Read: Kishwer Merchant Takes Her Kids to Brush Together: Here’s How Parents Can Enhance Kids’ Gum Health
-1751466211742.jpg)
Conclusion
Although the study is still in its preliminary stages, the medical community is excited as to how the clinical trials would turn out. For now, the research has shown great promise in turning a biological waste into ‘medical gold’.