Evaluating Awareness on Dental Pulp Stem Cells and its Applications amongst Graduating Dental Students of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar District: A Cross-Sectional Survey

• Main Authors: Rohan Bhatt, Applu Bhatt, Dhruva Gurjar, Lipee Dave
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2014-01-01
• Series: Advances in Human Biology
• Subjects: Dental pulp; Regeneration; Stem cells.
• Online Access: http://www.aihbonline.com/article.asp?issn=2321-8568;year=2014;volume=4;issue=3;spage=54;epage=59;aulast=Bhatt;type=0
• ISSN: 2321-8568; 2348-4691

Aim: The next decade of dentistry is speculated to see unparalled advances in the field of stem cell tissue engineering. The discovery of stem cells in the pulp of deciduous teeth raised intriguing possibility of using dental pulp stem cells for various life threatening disorders. This novel therapy has been proved to b e a huge scope in dentistry and currently has large-scale clinical applications. The WHO recommends dentists should encourage following evidence based literature in order to educate patients about the collection, storage and use of stem cells. There is a need to assess graduating dental care professionals, which would help in understanding awareness on this topic. Materials and Methods: Four dental colleges from Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar districts participated in the study. A structured questionnaire containing 13 questions was prepared and distributed to the participants. Data was analyzed after all the participants submitted their questionnaire. Results: Out of 372 students, 231 reverted back for the study. Majority of the graduating interns were ignorant about the canine being the best deciduous tooth for the extraction of stem cells. 24.84 % students believed dental pulp stem cells as best source for therapeutic use whereas almost 30% considered as bone marrow or umbilical cord. Majority of participants had no idea regarding the optimal root length to get the vital stem cells post extraction. Conclusion: Updating ourselves in medical profession is key to clinical success. In recent years due to influence of media, patients have become aware of latest innovations in medical and dental science. Therefore it has become necessary for the dental professionals to keep themselves updated to new world of dentistry.