Background: Craniofacial bone loss is a common phenomenon ranging from small periodontal defects to large defects following trauma, surgery or congenital malformations. It is imperative to address these defects with utmost care and precision to avoid functional and aesthetic problems. The human oral cavity is a rich source of adult mesenchymal stem cells. Researchers have documented their isolation and studied them extensively for their invitro capacity of hard and soft tissue regeneration. One of the widely studied properties is their osteogenic potential. Bone formation using oral stem cells has shown successful results in numerous animal trials. Some studies have progressed to evaluate their future potential in humans.
Highlight: This review aimed at discussing the use of human oral stem cells, specifically for bone regeneration in human maxillofacial region.
Conclusion: Oral stem cells have excellent potential for bone formation and can be successfully used to replace traditionally used bone marrow stem cells. Some sources like stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED), dental follicle stem cells (DFSC), Stem Cells from Apical Papilla (SCAP), and others need assessment beyond animal models and require human studies for clinical use. More clinical trials of randomized nature are suggested to standardize the clinical procedure and strengthen the claim of oral stem cells as potential replacement of bone marrow counterparts.
Keywords: Adult stem cells; Bone regeneration; Review literature.
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