A Closer Look at the Root Canal Process
You’re making the smart move to end your pain and protect your tooth with a root canal procedure. Here’s a step-by-step look at what we do during this surprisingly quick-and-easy office visit.
Wisdom Teeth May One Day Help Your Eyes
Wisdom teeth can cause a lot of pain and discomfort, but researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences have found a good use for them. The dental pulp from wisdom teeth might one day be used as a source of corneal transplant for scarred corneal tissue due to injury or infection.
Usually, corneal blindness is treated with corneal implants. But donor shortages occur, and at times, a patient’s body rejects the implants. The adult cornea is approximately.5 millimeter thick and is comprised of 5 layers, including the stroma. The stroma is composed of tiny, parallel collagen fibrils. This special formation gives the cornea its clarity. Stems cells from the dental pulp of the wisdom tooth (third molar) can be extracted and turned into corneal stromal cells.
Engineered corneal stromal cells, called keratocytes, were injected into the corneas of healthy mice. The cells were integrated without rejected.
Further research will be done to determine whether dental pulp stem cells that have been transformed into keratocytes can be used correct corneal scarring in animals. It is hoped that one day a patient’s own third-molar dental pulp can be used for corneal implants.
This post is sponsored by the San Jose dentists of Hillsdale Dental Care.
You Might Also Enjoy...
4 Ways Smoking Affects Your Oral Health
The list is a very long one when it comes to why smoking is bad for you, and we’re going to add your oral health. Here are some ways that smoking can negatively impact your teeth and gums.
What We Want You to Know About Adult Tooth Loss
It's all cuteness when a child loses her baby teeth and turns them over to the tooth fairy. It’s not so cute when you lose teeth as an adult. Here's what’s behind this surprisingly common problem.
Professional Teeth Cleaning — Your First Line of Defense
As we kick off a new year and make some resolutions, why not put dental health on the list, too? The first step toward healthy teeth and gums is scheduling everyone in your family for a professional cleaning.
4 Tips for Creating a Lifetime of Great Dental Habits in Kids
You want to give your kids the best start in life — on every front — and this includes laying the groundwork for great dental habits. We’ve pulled together a few tips that can help show them the way.
Smile With White, Bright Teeth This Holiday Season
November ushers in the holiday season, and you’re looking forward to some memorable celebrations with friends and family. Why not make your smile one to remember with some pre-holiday teeth whitening?