(By Dr. Joseph D. Lim and Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI)
TISSUE regeneration may be an alternative to root canal procedures someday.
Scientists at the Forsyth Institute are testing a new treatment to treat diseases of the dental pulp more effectively through tissue regeneration instead of root canal therapy.
The dental pulp of each tooth contains the nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue. An infected pulp may require root canal, the current treatment of choice.
Instead, the new technology promotes the formation of the type of stem cells that can differentiate into dentin (tooth), bone, cartilage or fat.
It has huge potential for the field of regenerative medicine beyond the tissues in the teeth. It could be used to grow bones in other parts of the body, according to the study published in The Journal of Dental Research.
Pulpitis or inflammation of dental pulp is a very common oral health disease that can become a serious health condition if not treated properly, says Dr. Thomas Van Dyke, Vice President at the Center for Clinical and Translational Research at the Forsyth Institute and a senior scientist leading the study.
“Root canal therapy is effective, but it does have some problems since you are removing significant portions of dentin, and the tooth dries out leading to a greater risk of fracture down the road,” he says. “Our goal is to come up with a method for regenerating the pulp, instead of filling the root canal with inert material.”
Inflammation of this tissue is usually caused by damage to the tooth through injury, cavities or cracking, and the resulting infection can quickly kill the pulp and cause secondary problems if not treated, Dr. Van Dyke points out.
The researchers used resolvins, a group of molecules naturally produced by the body and effective in the control of excess inflammation associated with diseases. They specifically applied Resolvin E1 (RvE1) to dental pulp and showed its regenerative properties.
There were two major findings. First, the researchers showed that RvE1 is very effective at promoting pulp regeneration when used in direct pulp-capping of vital or living pulp.
Second, the scientists found that placing RvE1 on exposed and severely infected pulp did not facilitate regeneration.
However, the novel treatment did effectively slow down the rate of infection and treat the inflammation, preventing lesions or abscesses that typically occur with this type of infection.
Previous publications have shown that when the infected root canal is cleaned before RvE1 treatment, regeneration of the pulp does occur. The current study focused on this technology in treating endodontic diseases, or diseases of the soft tissue or pulp in the teeth.
The potential therapeutic impact is far reaching, according to sciencedaily.com. This is because the application of RvE1 to dental pulp promotes formation of the type of stem cells that can differentiate into dentin (tooth), bone, cartilage or fat, Dr. Van Dyke explains.
“This technology has huge potential for the field of regenerative medicine beyond the tissues in the teeth. It could be used to grow bones in other parts of the body, for instance,” he says.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; Member, American Academy of Implant Dentistry and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com./PN
