If you are like most parents then you have probably played the well-known tooth fairy game. Those who have not played this game should know that the rules are simple – you ask your kids to hide their recently extracted baby tooth right under the pillow and wait until the morning when the tooth will be replaced with a small amount of money by the “mysterious, but good creature”.
There is no doubt that this game is fun, but it is also very short. In the end, your child will get a couple of dollars that they will spend on some toy or sweets and that’s it.
But, in the last few years, parents have another option – they can store the baby tooth in a specially designed tooth bank!
The Long-Term Benefits of Storing Baby Teeth
About 13 years ago, scientists at the NIDCR (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) have discovered that baby tooth comes with some precious stem cells. To put it simply, stem cells are able to convert themselves to literally any type of cell.
For instance, in case your kid, witness the emergence of some health condition when it becomes adult-like pancreas damage, brain damage, or heart issues, they can use stem cells extracted from baby teeth to repair these damaged cells.
What is even better is that Bright Side. They develop much faster compared to stem cells found in other body parts and they are resistant to many threats.
In other words, their use will eliminate the need to sit and wait for a bone marrow donation in case your kid ever requires stem cells. In addition, it boosts the chances for acceptance of these cells by the body.
There are many people who are wondering whether they can extract their own teeth in times when they need stem cells.
However, the situation is more complicated. It turns out that the aging process affects stem cells too and their power is reduced. So, in case your kid requires stem cells when they become adults their existing teeth won’t be effective.
The Sign-Up Procedure
The truth is that are a few reputable international services that are storing baby teeth for a certain fee. One of them is Bright Side.
This company makes deals with dentists to gather the baby tooth and bring it to their specialized facility in a special kit. When the tooth arrives, they extract all the stem cells from it and put them in a specially designed culture where they can thrive. After that, the cells and the tooth are preserved with a cryogenic process.
It is good to know that even teeth that were extracted days ago can have useful stem cells.
Via David Wolfe
