Amal Al-Sibai

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — A collection of the world’s leading experts in new fields and discoveries that have been exploding in dentistry in recent years joined together at the 2-day Dental Innovation Forum here (Sunday-Monday).



The event was organized by Umm Al-Qura University Faculty of Dentistry, one of the youngest dental schools in the Kingdom, which has strategic plans to focus on biotechnological research, patenting, and transferring and implementing technologies in dental care.



“The objective of the event is to gather the world leaders in dental and oral health who have made innovations in biomarkers, bioengineering, stem cells, restorative dentistry, and biomaterials. These experts share their experiences to inspire and motivate dentists in and around the Kingdom to embark on innovation and technology transfer,” said Dr. Mohammad Beyari, Dean of Faculty of Dentistry at Umm Al-Qura University and Chairman of the Dental Innovation Forum.



The science behind it may seem overwhelming and confusing, but as it was simplified and summarized by the keynote speakers, it is absolutely amazing and may be the beginning of a revolution in healthcare.



Scientists said that the easiest, most widely available, inexpensive, and non-controversial source of stem cells (used to regenerate healthy tissues in almost any part of the body) is from the pulp of teeth, which can easily be obtained at the dentist’s clinic.



So the next time a child in your family loses a baby tooth, do not put it under the pillow and ask the child to wait for the tooth fairy.



Instead, give the tooth to your dentist or local research center so that stem cells may be harvested from the tooth. And tell the child who now has a window in her mouth where her baby tooth used to be that she has contributed to scientific research that may one day save someone’s life.



Her toothless smile will be even bigger if she knows that she has helped someone sick!

Under the right circumstances and storage at a certain temperature and pH level, dental pulp cells can be extracted and developed into pluripotent stem cells. What this means is that these special stem cells can be used to produce almost any type of cell in the human body.



“Stems cells have an amazing regenerative ability and they can produce new kinds of healthy, healing cells. Cells harvested from a tooth can be used for research and innovation, and may even end up as healthy bone cells, liver cells, skin or nerve cells, or any new tissue,” said Dr. Shahid Siddiqui, Professor of Oral Biology at Umm Al-Qura University.



“Major medical discoveries are being made in stem cell research and there is tremendous future potential in this direction. Stem cells are becoming an essential part of the treatment and therapies for a wide range of diseases, including: multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, skin wounds and ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer,” said Siddiqui.  



The regenerative nature of stem cells gives a renewable source of healthy cells and tissues, making them especially beneficial for burn victims in regenerating healthy skin. Dental stem cells could grow new teeth and jaw bone to help individuals who have suffered extensive injuries. The possibilities are endless.



The Kingdom is standing at a threshold of great opportunities in stem cell research, personalized dentistry, and innovations and technologies that could be applied to improve patient care in dentistry and medicine.



“Our big investors here in the Kingdom still tend to gravitate towards the more traditional and lower risk ventures, such as real estate. The biotechnological industry is booming and there are many innovations designed by brilliant researchers that if supported and implemented would bring huge returns. The problem with biomedical innovations is that it takes more time to reap the gains but eventually, they will have high returns. We need to show the success stories to the public so that investors can see that biomedical innovations will bring in revenue,” said Professor Sultan Almubarak, Executive Consultant of Badir Biotechnology Incubator, King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology.