Published online Nov 26, 2021. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v13.i11.1610
Peer-review started: February 25, 2021
First decision: March 29, 2021
Revised: April 6, 2021
Accepted: September 29, 2021
Article in press: September 29, 2021
Published online: November 26, 2021
Processing time: 272 Days and 22.5 Hours
Dental stem cells can differentiate into different types of cells. Dental pulp stem cells, stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth, periodontal ligament stem cells, stem cells from apical papilla, and dental follicle progenitor cells are five different types of dental stem cells that have been identified during different stages of tooth development. The availability of dental stem cells from discarded or removed teeth makes them promising candidates for tissue engineering. In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) tissue scaffolds have been used to reconstruct and restore different anatomical defects. With rapid advances in 3D tissue engineering, dental stem cells have been used in the regeneration of 3D engineered tissue. This review presents an overview of different types of dental stem cells used in 3D tissue regeneration, which are currently the most common type of stem cells used to treat human tissue conditions.
Core Tip: Dental stem cell seeding in three-dimensional (3D) engineered scaffolds that mimic the human tissue microenvironment is an emerging technology for regenerative medicine. Dental pulp stem cells, stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth, periodontal ligament stem cells, stem cells from apical papilla, and dental follicle progenitor cells have been used for tissue regeneration utilizing 3D approaches. The analytical results of this literature review reveal many basic and preclinical studies that support the hypothesis that the application of dental stem cells is a feasible approach for translational medicine and is an applicable method for 3D tissue regeneration.