Do you know people who save children’s baby teeth? If so, you probably wonder why. Some parents do this as a way of holding on to something that was part of the infant’s life. However, there are other reasons it is important to save the initial set of teeth.
At around the age of six months, infants’ teeth start to erupt. Known as “baby teeth,” there are usually 20 in all. Children use these teeth as they learn to eat and formulate words. As kids get older, these teeth fall out, with permanent or adult teeth replacing them. Typically, by the age of 21, adults have all of their 32 permanent teeth.
Most people have no idea that baby teeth have a hidden gem inside in the form of stem cells. For that reason, it is common for a pediatric dentist to urge parents to hold onto teeth when they fall out. Thanks to advanced medicine, dental professionals know that people can benefit from stem cells later in life. In fact, these cells can treat a broad range of medical conditions.
Considering that baby teeth are a rich source of stem cells, parents should save them. If a child develops an illness at some point, those cells could be the required solution. Simply put, medical and dental professionals can use the stem cells found in baby teeth to grow other tissue. Not only does that help from a medical standpoint, but a dental one as well.
Typically, a pediatric dentist can extract the stem cells and harvest them from the pulp inside of baby teeth. With that done, a dentist recommends for parents to keep them in a tooth bank. There, the pulp remains in a controlled environment, preserving the precious cells. Since this type of bank cryogenically freezes the stem cells, they usually last 20 years, often longer.
Along with the baby teeth, a pediatric dentist suggests that parents do the same thing with wisdom teeth. This is because these too are a rich source of stem cells. Even healthy molars provide the same benefit. Instead of tossing teeth out as some parents do, it makes more sense to have the pulp of baby teeth harvested.
The stem cells taken from baby teeth, wisdom teeth and even healthy molars help fight an array of illnesses. For example, if people develop some types of cancers, there is a good chance of the cells saving their lives. Stem cells also help treat Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. If a child needs a bone marrow transplant, the stems cells would be of tremendous value.
As a parent, you want to do everything possible to keep your children healthy. One way to accomplish that is by saving their baby teeth. You can talk to a pediatric dentist about which tooth bank to use. Something as simple as baby teeth could save your child’s life.
Request an appointment here: https://www.grandparkwaypediatricdental.com or call Grand Parkway Pediatric Dental at (832) 579-0960 for an appointment in our Richmond office.
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