Biological Characteristics of Dental Stem Cells for Tissue Engineering

Scientists have recently focused their attention on adult stem cells as new and more effective treatments for different diseases and disabilities. In fact, it is known that stem cells are capable of renewing themselves and that they can generate multiple cell types. Today, there is new evidence that stem cells are present in far more tissues and organs than once thought and that these cells are capable of developing into more kinds of cells than previously imagined. In this chapter, we focus the attention on teeth as source of stem cells. In particular, we describe the characteristic of the different types of dental stem cells and their use in tissue engineering.