Knowledge, Awareness and Perception of Dental Stem Cell and Their Applications in Regenerative Medicine Among Professional Groups

Dental stem cell research has become an important field in regenerative medicine. Nevertheless, the depth of knowledge and awareness of dental stem cells remain vague among the professional groups in Malaysia. The objective of this study is to assess the level of knowledge and awareness of professional groups in Malaysia on dental stem cells and their applications in regenerative medicine.

A descriptive cross-sectional survey was implemented using online and hard-copy questionnaires that was distributed among medical doctors, scientists, and dentists to assess the level of knowledge and awareness (n=157). The questionnaire consists of 3 sections consisting of demographics, knowledge assessment and perception among the professional groups. The data were analysed using SPSS analysis.

Results showed that professional groups in Malaysia were knowledgeable and aware of dental stem cells and their application. Majority of the respondents were dentists (41.91%), followed by medical doctors (35.29%) and scientists (22.79%). 50.74% of respondents were unsure about the similar characteristics between dental stem cells (DSCs) and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs). Most respondents were aware of the derivation of DSCs from pulp and periodontal ligament (PDL) tissues (77.21%) and that DSCs are considered an adult stem cell source (51.11%). Most respondents were familiar with the characteristics of DSCs. They were aware that DSCs have the unique ability to self-renew and differentiate into trilineage differentiation (69.12%). They agreed that DSCs are an excellent cell resource for therapeutic approaches to neural repair and regeneration (63.24%). 63.24% of the respondents demonstrated a positive outcome for dental stem cell research. 59.56% of them would be willing to donate their extracted teeth for research. About 56.62% of respondents would conserve their teeth in stem cell banks and 52.94% are interested in investing in the stem cell industry.

A high level of perception and awareness about dental stem cells and its application was noted among professional groups in Malaysia. They are supportive and willing to invest for dental stem cell research.