Unilateral segmental odontomaxillary dysplasia: A rare entity of 3 cases and review.

Segmental odontomaxillary dysplasia (SOD) is an uncommon, nonhereditary, rare developmental disorder primarily involving the posterior part of the maxilla and related dental components. It is a rare condition of uncertain etiology that results in painless unilateral expansion of the posterior dentoalveolar complex, gingival hyperplasia, lack of one or both premolars in the affected area, delayed eruption of adjacent teeth and malformations of the primary molars. Radiographically, the affected bone is thickened and irregular in outline, with a coarse trabecular pattern that is vertically oriented resulting in a relatively radioopaque granular appearance. The treatment is focused on extraction of the involved teeth, while in some milder cases the teeth may be retained for a long period. The treatment plan should be based on the degree of involvement as well as the functional and esthetic needs in each case. Considering the rarity of the condition, we report three cases of SOD with variable presentations in a 45-year-old, 24-year-old and 23-year-old individual.

Redefining the potential applications of dental stem cells: An asset for future.

Recent exciting discoveries isolated dental stem cells from the pulp of the primary and permanent teeth, from the periodontal ligament, and from associated healthy tissues. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) represent a kind of adult cell colony which has the potent capacity of self-renewing and multilineage differentiation. Stem cell-based tooth engineering is deemed as a promising approach to the making of a biological tooth (bio-tooth) or engineering of functional tooth structures. Dental professionals have the opportunity to make their patients aware of these new sources of stem cells that can be stored for future use as new therapies are developed for a range of diseases and injuries. The aim of this article is to review and understand how dental stem cells are being used for regeneration of oral and conversely nonoral tissues. A brief review on banking is also done for storing of these valuable stem cells for future use.