Awareness on Dental Pulp Stem Cells and their Application in Regenerative Dentistry among Dental and Biotechnology Professionals - An Evaluative Study.

Background: Dental stem cells from pulp tissue have their important application in regenerative dentistry. The research on potential use of dental stem cells has been progressing exponentially, and hence, the skills and knowledge in this area amongst the dental and biotechnology professionals are of utmost significance. The study aimed to determine the level of awareness, knowledge, and opinion on the dental pulp stem cells and their application in regenerative dentistry amongst dentists and biotechnology professionals.

Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive questionnaire-based survey. A questionnaire prepared in Google form was distributed to 170 potential participants, which included 77 dental and 82 biotechnology professionals. The responses of 159 participants (93.5%) were received.

Results: There was a significant difference in the opinion regarding dental tissue as a source of stem cells between dentists and biotechnology professionals ( P < 0.001). More biotechnologists were aware of the availability of stem cell banking in India than dentists. Nearly 55% opine that stems cells from pulp have their greatest application in restoring the tooth.

Conclusion: There was adequate awareness about the dental stem cells amongst the professionals, and they were optimistic about their potential application. There is a lacuna in the knowledge regarding its application in systemic diseases and banking. Hence, there is a need to include the topic of stem cells in dental and biotechnology curriculum.