FAQs
What are dental pulp stem cells?
Dental pulp is the soft living tissue inside a tooth. Stem cells are found inside the dental pulp. Dental pulp stem cells retain the ability to renew themselves by dividing and can change into specialized cells.
When is the best time to save stem cells?
The ideal opportunity to harvest dental stem cells occurs when children and young adults are losing their deciduous (baby) teeth either thorough natural exfoliation or extraction for orthodontia. The teeth that contain the highest quantity and quality of stem cells will be those that maintain a blood supply until they are harvested.
Are these cells currently being used for treatments?
Dental pulp stem cells, are being used only in laboratory settings at this time. While mesenchymal (MSC) cells are currently used in procedures such as bone marrow transplants, MSC cells from dental pulp are not yet being used for medical treatments.
What types of cells can MSC cells become?
- Cardio Myocytes which have the potential to repair damaged cardiac tissue following a heart attack.
- Myocytes which have the potential to repair muscle.
- Osteocytes which have the potential to generate bone.
- Chondrocytes which have the potential to generate cartilage.
- Neuronal which have the potential to generate nerve and brain tissue.
- Adipocytes which have the potential to generate fat tissue.
When were dental pulp stem cells first identified?
Stem cells in dental pulp were discovered in 2000 by Dr. Songtao Shi, a dental researcher at the National Institute of Health (NIH). After verification that these cells were in fact viable stem cells, the NIH announced the discovery in 2003.
How long can stem cells be stored?
We know that stem cells from the late 1980’s are still viable. In fact, most research indicates that stem cells frozen through a slow-rate process and stored with liquid nitrogen are viable for an indefinite period.
Why is dental pulp a great source of stem cells?
Dental pulp stem cells can be harvested without controversy, in an inexpensive, non-invasive manner, unlike bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell collection. These methods of stem cell recovery can be both painful and expensive. Umbilical cord blood, another source of stem cells, is a once in a lifetime opportunity at birth. Umbilical cord blood stem cells recovered are typically only used in disease treatment.
How is dental pulp collected?
Dental pulp collection is simple and poses no risk to the client. The tooth is either extracted or is harvested when it falls our naturally. Next a sterile transport medium is used to ship the tooth to the NDPL laboratory. NDPL removes the dental pulp from tooth, processes, and then cryogenically preserves and stores the stem cells.
Why do I need my dentist to harvest the teeth?
It is important to have your dentist or oral surgeon work with you to harvest a healthy tooth for preservation because with their help, you will be able to remove the tooth while a good blood supply is still present. If the tooth is allowed to fall out at home, there is less possibility of finding viable stem cells.
What happens if my child’s tooth is falling out early and my dentist has not received the kit?
We offer detailed instructions on collecting dental pulp without a collection kit on hand. These instructions can be faxed or e-mailed to your dentist. In an extreme emergency the tooth may be stored in milk in your refrigerator for a BRIEF period of time.
How is the kit picked up for delivery to NDPL’s laboratory?
Our worldwide shipper picks up from the dental office as soon as the tooth is extracted. The kit is then immediately shipped to our laboratory and the tooth is processed promptly.
How do you prevent the stem cells from damage during the freezing process?
NDPL’s processing technique follows the FDA guidelines of minimal manipulation. The stem cells are prepped for slow-freeze by using a cryoprotectant which prevents damage. The cryoprotectant is washed out of the stem cells in the thawing. Research has shown that this methodology is the most successful in terms of cell recovery.
How are the stem cells stored?
Stem cells are stored individually in a sealed cryo-container. The cryo-container is designed specifically for long-term cryogenic storage.
The container is coded and then placed in a jacketed vapor tank cooled by liquid nitrogen. This type of cooling method prevents all cross contamination.
One-hundred percent of the processed cells are preserved for you and nothing is withheld for our use, a procedure unique to NDPL.
What systems are in place to protect stem cells during long-term storage?
Our cryogenic facility maintains multiple levels of security. This includes back up alarm systems, 24 hour on-call staff, 24 hour temperature monitoring, and a gravity driven liquid nitrogen system which does not depend on electricity.
Where is the storage facility actually located?
Our laboratory is proud of 25 years of private, family owned operation with the entire facility in one secure, modern site. Private tours of our Newton, MA facility are available.
153 Needham Street,
Building #1
Newton Massachusetts, 02464
What is the difference between a donation to science and private banking?
When deciding what to do with your dental pulp stem cells you have three choices:
- Donate them to science
- Privately bank them
- Discard them as medical waste
NDPL is a private bank and provides clients the opportunity to exclusively store stem cells for personal use. NDPL is also a research institution and takes donated teeth to advance the science of cryopreservation and stem cell application.
Is the company public or private?
We are a privately owned family business. We have been in business since 1982, spanning two generations, providing high-quality cryogenic services to the medical community. We have been successfully processing stem cells since 1995.
How many privately banked samples does the company have?
We have over 100,000 cell and tissue units stored in our on-site cryogenic facility serving our domestic and international clients.
How does a client enroll with NDPL?
Enrolling is easy:
- To enroll in the dentist office, simply complete the contract found inside the collection kit itself. Then send the contract back with the collection kit.
- To enroll by phone, call us at 617-244-6375 or 800-991-4999
- To download our enrollment form click here.
- To enroll by fax, send the completed contract to 617-244-6659
- To enroll by mail, send the completed contract to:
153 Needham Street,
Building #1
Newton, MA 02464
How does NDPL ensure the confidentiality of personal information?
NDPL does not share your information with any third party. We adhere to strict government regulations as well as the HIPAA laws.
Does NDPL accept transfers of stem cells currently stored with other banking companies?
Yes, NDPL will accept stem cell units currently stored with other banking companies. The private owner of the stem cell unit is responsible for any fees associated with the transfer and will be billed the annual storage fee.
What if you live outside of the US?
NDPL is the global leader in stem cell collection with affiliate offices located throughout the world. Our international affiliates will take care of all details including providing a collection kit for your dentist, sending your dentist guidelines, and making arrangements for our international courier to ship your dental pulp to our US facility.
Missed the opportunity?
If you missed the opportunity to preserve stem cells from umbilical cord blood, your child has a second chance. Each time a child looses a tooth, they are creating an opportunity to preserve stem cells from the dental pulp inside teeth. Learn more.