Stem cell-based therapy is making waves in modern medicine, but it has yet to be approved for use in dentistry. However, a new study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) shows an increased clinical interest in this procedure for oral and craniofacial reconstructive procedures.¹ 

So are stem cells the future of dental regeneration? Maybe. 

Increased demand 

Although modern dental technology has improved reconstructive procedure outcomes for patients with bone deficiencies, there is still a high variability in success rates. This is partially due to the wide variety of current materials on the market; there is no codified “best” restorative material, so many are still looking for a holy-grail type of solution. 

The regenerative market has burgeoned in the past few years, placing additional demand for reconstructing oral tissues that are compromised or deficient. A 2021 market report predicted that the dental bone graft market was expected to grow from $450 million in 2020 to $659 million by 2025. It already surpassed $1.03 billion by 2024 and is now expected to reach $2.55 billion by 2032.² 

Promising trial results 

Stem cell–based therapy may be a promising solution. According to  researchers whose work was published in JADA, “Although other health care disciplines, such as orthopedics, 17 plastic surgery, 18 rheumatology, and cardiology 18 have adopted stem cell–based therapies, no commercially available autologous stem cell–based products are approved for use in dentistry. Of the more than 6,000 clinical trials that have been conducted globally using stem cells, only 44 were focused on addressing oral diseases.”  

Recently, stem cell-based therapy has been used in various controlled clinical trials to test its application in dentistry—particularly alveolar bone reconstruction. Using autologous cell therapy, accelerated bone regeneration and better bone quality was reported in cases treating alveolar bone defects. 

Similar research has been conducted in the past. An early study from 2010 investigated stem cells for whole tooth regeneration, dental pulp regeneration, and periodontal regeneration. Researchers concluded that “dental stem cells have many advantages, and results to date suggest that teeth are a viable source of adult mesenchymal stem cells for a wide range of clinical applications.”³ 

They also noted that dental stem cells can be easily obtained and therefore potentially viable for use in various restorations, and although their data did not reflect complete success, they were optimistic about the future of stem cells when it comes to dentistry. 

JADA survey results 

Researchers polled dental surgeons, periodontists, and oral maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs), for their thoughts on incorporating stem cell–based therapies into their respective scope of clinical practice. They also investigated the level of knowledge and familiarity these clinicians had when it comes to regenerative bone grafting. 

An anonymous 481 members of the American Academy of Periodontology and 540 members of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons responded to a mailed JADA survey about this topic. 

Overall... 

• Periodontists performed significantly more bone grafting procedures than OMSs (24% vs. 14%) 

• Periodontists were more familiar with stem cell–based bone grafting, primarily through publications, while OMSs favored online continuing education for learning about it 

• Both groups viewed the approach as promising and preferred it over traditional methods, particularly because of its potential for greater-quality bone formation and faster healing 

• Acceptable costs varied widely ($35–$5,000), and most respondents believed patients would likely prefer stem cell–based treatment 

References 

1. Kaigler D, Misch JE, Aronovich S, Inglehart MR. Stem cell-based therapy for bone regeneration: Periodontists' and oral maxillofacial surgeons' considerations. J Am Dent Assoc. 2026;157(8):840-852. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2025.12.023 

2. Global dental bone graft market size, Share, and trends analysis report – industry overview and forecast to 2032. Data Bridge Market Research. https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-dental-bone-graft-market 

3. Volponi AA, Pang Y, Sharpe PT. Stem cell-based biological tooth repair and regeneration. Trends Cell Biol. 2010;20(12):715-22. doi:10.1016/j.tcb.2010.09.012