The ultimate goals of tooth regeneration: Where do we stand?

Abstract

The concept of tooth regeneration has fascinated many researchers recently. Several studies have been conducted in an attempt to regenerate either parts of tooth or a whole tooth. Although teeth and its constituent parts have very limited or no capacities of regeneration, several ex vivo and animal studies have exploited the use of stem cells to regenerate parts of a tooth or a whole tooth. This review is an attempt to better understand various aspects of biological regeneration of tooth structures. It gives a conceptual exploration of what we can expect from regeneration of a part of a tooth or a whole tooth and the various factors involved in achieving the ultimate goals of regeneration in which a fully restored and functional tooth is regenerated with the help of regenerative medicine using human stem cells.