Stem cells could one day replace the work of dental fillings, study shows

From Mashable:

“The stem cells in our teeth can be energized to fill in chips, cracks, and cavities, researchers say, and the findings could one day make dental cement obsolete.

The work has been conducted just in mice so far, but the research, published Monday in the journal Scientific Reports, highlights a way to motivate stem cells to repair tooth defects at a scale they normally can’t, with a drug that already has some safety testing behind it.

It also demonstrates the potential of a type of stem cell therapy in which the cells are stimulated in place, rather than taken out, manipulated, and put back in.”