EXPLORING THE ROLE OF STEM CELLS IN REGENERATIVE DENTISTRY AND THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Stem cells are components of developing and mature tissues, where they are involved in the self-healing and selfrepair of the body. Scientists have directed significant efforts toward investigating their possible applications in
treating different diseases in the last few years. Self-replication and differentiation characterizes these cells into a
variety of special somatic cells, making them ideal for future clinical therapy, drug discovery, and biomedical
research. Currently, five macroscopically distinguishable subgroups of dental pulp have been described: dental pulp
stem cells (DPSCs), stem cells extracted from exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED), stem cells generated from apical
papilla (SCAP), periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), and dental follicle precursor cells (DFPCs). They are easy
to obtain, live, and multipotent. Therefore, the isolation and use of these cells in a safe, efficient, and inexpensive
manner is an important area of investigation. Interestingly, jaw, facial, and oral cavity tissues are rich sources of
stem cells that are more accessible than other sources. Consequently, stem cell-based and tissue engineering
applications in dentistry have gained increasing interest and clinical relevance in the recent years. This
review is prepared to attract attention to the uniqueness of DSCs and their different functional roles, and to
assess their clinical translational potential. The recent discovery of their ability to regenerate has provided
great impetus for future investigations of their potential therapeutic use in a variety of conditions.