Potential application of dental stem cells in regenerative reconstruction of oral and maxillofacial tissues: a narrative review

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Background and objective Oral and maxillofacial (OMF) defects caused by congenital conditions, injuries, ablative surgery for benign and malignant head & neck tumor, can often lead to OMF deformities and malfunctions in speech, mastication/chewing, and swallowing as well as have deleterious psychological effects and socioeconomic burdens to patients. Due to the unique complex 3D geometry of the head and neck region, reconstruction and rehabilitation of OMF defects remain a major challenge for OMF surgeons.The purpose of this narrative review is to update the information on the biological properties and functions of mesenchymal stem cells derived from various dental tissues (dental-MSCs) and their potential application in tissue engineering (TE) and regenerative reconstruction of OMF tissues. Methods A data-based search was performed by using PubMed database whereby articles published between 2000 and 2021 in English were included in the search with the following key words: dental stem cells, OMF reconstruction, OMF TE and regeneration. Key content and findings Currently, the advancement in stem cell biology, biomaterial science, and TE technology has demonstrated the significant potential application of stem cell-based therapy in regenerative reconstruction and rehabilitation of OMF defects. However, no stem cell-based product or device has been translated into clinical applica

Evidence level

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

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