Pulled Teeth Today, Stem Cells Tomorrow

Tuesday, 18 January 2011 | by Pat's Picks

The tooth fairy is on to something. According to the Miami Herald, more and more patients are asking their dentists to hold on to their pulled teeth—in case an illness that could be treated with stem cell therapy pops up later in life. The science is still in its infancy, but researchers say that someday they will be able to “repair damaged bones, hearts, pancreases, muscles and brains” with the discarded teeth. There are some drawbacks, including the price. It costs about $590 upfront plus $100 a year to store the stems cells from four teeth.