Stem Cells for the Oromaxillofacial Area: Could they be a promising source for regeneration in dentistry?

Oromaxillofacial tissues (OMT) are composed of tooth and bone, together with nerves and blood vessels. Such a composite material is a huge source for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that can be obtained with ease from extracted teeth, teeth structures and socket blood, flapped gingiva tissue, and mandibular/maxillar bone marrow. They offer a biological answer for restoring damaged dental tissues such as the regeneration of alveolar bone, prevention of pulp tissue defects, and dental structures. Dental tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells share properties with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and there is a considerable potential for these cells to be used in different stem cell-based therapies, such as bone and nerve regeneration. Dental pulp tissue might be a very good source for neurological disorders whereas gingiva-derived mesenchymal stem cells could be a good immune modulatory/suppressive mediators. OMT-MSCs is also promising candidates for regeneration of orofacial tissues from the perspective of developmental fate. Here, we review the fundamental biology and potential for future regeneration strategies of MSCs in oromaxillofacial research.