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The Road Ahead: Exploring the Future of Dental Pulp Regeneration
Visiting Professor Jacques Eduardo Nor from the University of Michigan offered valuable insights on the dynamic application of dental pulp engineering in regenerative endodontics at a workshop well-attended by dental professionals, researchers and experts in the field.
In recent years, there have been significant advancements in the field of regenerative medicine offering new possibilities for treating dental diseases and restoring oral health. One promising area of research is in dental pulp tissue engineering which focuses on regenerating damaged or diseased dental pulp tissues for application across various oral and medical conditions.
A lecture titled “Dental Pulp Tissue Engineering: The Future of Regenerative Endodontics” was held at the NUS Faculty of Dentistry on 5 July 2023 to shed light on this groundbreaking field. The lecture, conducted by Donald A Kerr Collegiate Professor of Dentistry and Chair, Department of Cariology, Restorative Science and Endodontics at the University of Michigan, School of Dentistry Jacques Eduardo Nor began with a presentation on the key concepts and techniques involved in dental pulp tissue engineering such as stem cell-based approaches, scaffold designs and growth delivery systems.
Vice Dean (Research) Associate Professor Vinicius Rosa giving the opening address.
Professor Jacques Eduardo Nor shared his insights on dental pulp tissue engineering
with dental professionals and students.
Prof Nor then delved into the clinical applications of dental pulp tissue engineering, where participants discovered the potential of revitalising damaged or diseased pulp tissues to restore natural tooth functionality, avoid premature tooth loss and eliminate the need for traditional root canal therapy.
Beyond optimal applications of dental pulp tissue engineering, the workshop also explored the challenges of such an approach. These challenges included identifying the most suitable cell sources, optimising growth delivery, enhancing scaffold properties and addressing potential immune responses. Prof Nor also elaborated on the importance of considering patient perspectives when clinically applying dental pulp tissue engineering techniques. This would involve engaging patients, understanding their concerns and getting informed consent before proceeding.
As dental pulp engineering starts to gain traction in transforming oral health outcomes, Prof Nor concluded by emphasising the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations and further research to overcome existing challenges and establish standardised protocols for clinical use. This will set the stage for researchers and dental professionals to harness the power of stem cells, growth factors and advanced scaffold design to revolutionise traditional endodontic procedures.
Prof Nor addressing questions from the audience.
About 30 participants attended the lecture and shared that it provided exciting insights on how dental pulp tissue engineering has the potential to trigger further research studies, impact clinical applications and ultimately transform the dental care landscape.
Participants with Prof Jacques Nor and Assoc Prof Vinicius Rosa.
“Prof Nor made a complex subject like tissue engineering easy to understand. The talk provided useful insights on how dental pulp tissue engineering could transform endodontics treatment and evolve it towards a more biologic-oriented regime in the future. His presentation, which shed light on the possible clinical applications as well as the challenges of dental pulp tissue engineering, was inspiring and will be especially valuable to our graduate students working in the field of tissue engineering,” said Adjunct Associate Professor Lim Kian Chong.
“Prof Nor brought us through an evening of appraising the expanse of research done in the field of regenerative endodontics. It was refreshing and encouraging to learn about the impact from various studies so far, yet at the same time embrace the continued efforts of both scientists and clinicians to uncover new findings for successful tissue regeneration,” added Dr Lim Wen Yi.
"Prof Nor provided a remarkable overview of dental stem cell research spanning from 1988. Besides highlighting the breakthroughs of various studies, he also presented the key challenges in using stem cells for pulp regeneration. I truly appreciated that he not only showcased his work but at the same time, enlightened us with recent clinical trials on dental pulp regeneration,” shared Dr Sri Vidya Atkuru.