Dental stem cells for tooth regeneration: how far have we come and where next?

IntroductionHuman dental stem cells are promising for tooth repair because of their differentiation potential. In 2018, this journal published a report on dental stem cell treatment options that had been attempted since the early 2000s. Although it is very difficult to follow every trend since then, new achievements have been made in the last 5 years. This review summarizes selected developments in dental stem cell research.Areas coveredThis article provides an overview of new developments with human dental stem cells and parts of these cells like extracellular vesicles for regenerative medicine. Preclinical research, clinical trials, and other works in the field of dental stem cells research for whole tooth engineering, dental pulp regeneration, periodontitis, and tooth root regeneration are summarized. In addition, works with dental stem cells for the regeneration of diseases that cannot be cured with the regeneration of dental tissues, such as diabetes, will be presented.Expert opinionOver the past five years, a number of studies using dental stem cells have improved new strategies for tooth repair. In addition, there are new dental stem cell products such as extracellular vesicles which, in combination with findings from basic research, will lead to new treatment options in the future.