Regenerative Endodontic Therapy
Dr. Thiessen is at the forefront of an exciting new treatment option in endodontics. Regenerative endodontic therapy, also called pulpal regeneration or pulpal revasculariztion is a biologically based procedure designed to replace damaged dentin and root structure as well as cells of the pulp-dentin complex through the use of stem cells.
Stem cells are unique because they drive the natural healing process throughout your life. Stem cells are different from other cells in the body because they regenerate and produce specialized cell types. They heal and restore skin, bones, cartilage, muscles, nerves and other tissues when injured.
While stem cells can be found in most tissues of the body, they are usually buried deep, are few in number and are similar in appearance to surrounding cells. With the discovery of stem cells in teeth, an accessible and available source of stem cells has been identified.
Regenerative endodontic therapy will soon become the standard of care for the treatment of immature roots. This procedure revitalizes or revascularizes previously necrotic (dead) pulpal tissue and allows the immature tooth to complete its development. Regenerative endodontics is a cutting edge treatment which is at the forefront of tissue engineering in dentistry.