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Copyright ©The Author(s) 2018. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Jun 26, 2018; 10(6): 66-77
Published online Jun 26, 2018. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v10.i6.66
Applications of stem cells in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics: Current trends and future perspectives
Shiva Safari, Arezoo Mahdian, Saeed Reza Motamedian
Shiva Safari, Arezoo Mahdian, Saeed Reza Motamedian, Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 13819, Iran
Author contributions: All authors contributed to the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Saeed Reza Motamedian, DDS, MSc, Academic Research, Research Fellow, Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Velenjak, Tehran 13819, Iran. sr.motamedian@yahoo.com
Telephone: +98-91-25176083
Received: March 27, 2018
Peer-review started: March 28, 2018
First decision: April 16, 2018
Revised: April 19, 2018
Accepted: May 9, 2018
Article in press: May 10, 2018
Published online: June 26, 2018
Processing time: 90 Days and 14 Hours
Abstract

A simple overview of daily orthodontic practice involves use of brackets, wires and elastomeric modules. However, investigating the underlying effect of orthodontic forces shows various molecular and cellular changes. Also, orthodontics is in close relation with dentofacial orthopedics which involves bone regeneration. In this review current and future applications of stem cells (SCs) in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics have been discussed. For craniofacial anomalies, SCs have been applied to regenerate hard tissue (such as treatment of alveolar cleft) and soft tissue (such as treatment of hemifacial macrosomia). Several attempts have been done to reconstruct impaired temporomandibular joint. Also, SCs with or without bone scaffolds and growth factors have been used to regenerate bone following distraction osteogenesis of mandibular bone or maxillary expansion. Current evidence shows that SCs also have potential to be used to regenerate infrabony alveolar defects and move the teeth into regenerated areas. Future application of SCs in orthodontics could involve accelerating tooth movement, regenerating resorbed roots and expanding tooth movement limitations. However, evidence supporting these roles is weak and further studies are required to evaluate the possibility of these ideas.

Keywords: Alveolar bone grafting; Dentofacial deformities; Distraction osteogenesis; Guided tissue regeneration; Orthodontics; Orthodontic tooth movement; Orthognathic surgery; Periodontitis; Root resorption; Stem cells

Core tip: Stem cell therapy has multiple applications in the field of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. Recent researches have demonstrated advantageous use of stem cells (SCs) for correction of craniofacial anomalies, rapid consolidation phase of distraction osteogenesis, reconstruction of temporomandibular joint and stability of palatal expansion. SCs also could be used to regenerate infrabony alveolar defects and move the teeth into regenerated areas. Future application of SCs in orthodontics could involve accelerating tooth movement, regenerating resorbed roots and expanding tooth movement limitations.