A new direction in the field of tissue engineering aims to regenerate a functional tooth-tissue structure. The emerging scientific field combines the principles of biology, medicine, and engineering to repair and regenerate damaged tissue. It is a multidisciplinary approach that involves three basic key elements: stem cells, morphogens, and scaffolds. The dental tissues are considered a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells that are suitable for tissue engineering applications. It is known that these stem cells have the potential to differentiate into several cell types, including odontoblasts, neural progenitors, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. Dental stem cell research has grown exponentially. Hence this article reviews and discusses the basic concepts, biology, and applied clinical applications of dental stem cells.
