One day the tooth fairy may save your life - that is, if your tooth fairy is an oral maxillofacial surgeon. About ten years ago, National Institutes of Health researchers discovered stem cells in dental pulp, cells that may hold keys to curing diseases like diabetes, heart failure, lupus, cancer, Parkinson;s and Crohn's. Some dentists may now offer patients the option of banking wisdom or other extracted teeth as "biological insurance" for potential regenerative therapies. These teeth are sent to a New York based laboratory called StemSave, which extracts, cryopreserves, and stores the stem cells. The cost is $590 for initial processing and $100 annually - a significant tab when there are no proven therapies yet.
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