However, a recent scientific discovery claims that you should keep baby teeth, as they could be important for your health in the future.

A study carried out by the National Center for Biotechnology Information of the United States revealed that “baby teeth” are a valuable source of stem cells. These cells can contribute to so-called regenerative medicine without the risk of rejection for the patient, since they are responsible for giving rise to tissues and organs such as the liver, heart, bones, or ligaments.

Because of their importance to medicine, under the slogan “Save a tooth, save a life,” baby-tooth banks have begun to proliferate in the United States—an initiative that has gradually spread to the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, in Spain, consulted dentists state that this practice is “little known” among citizens. Although there are clinics that offer the preservation of dental pulp—the inner part of the tooth where the so-called “magic cells” are found.

“This is a bet on the future,” said Dr. Antonio Montero, president of the Madrid College of Dentists. However, preservation is not economically accessible, as prices range from 600 to 2,500 euros per year.

Baby teeth: Important for history and humanity

Stem cells are not only vital for regenerative medicine, Montero explains, but are also of interest to anthropologists and researchers of human evolution. So much so that since 2014, the National Center for Research on Human Evolution (CENIEH), in Burgos, has collected more than 2,000 baby teeth from all over Spain.

Meanwhile, several universities together with the Andalusian Association of Physical Anthropology aim to assemble a collection of deciduous or primary teeth. The goal is to study periodontal diseases and human evolution.

They also intend to analyze sexual dimorphism in current populations, and the morphometric characterization of dentin (the layer located just beneath the tooth enamel), which will be useful both in human evolution studies and in the forensic field.

“But no one should think that today they can be cured with cells from a tooth. Not yet. One thing is knowing that stem cells are contained in baby teeth, and another is being able to use them. On paper, everything suggests that it is possible. But it is still too early to know for sure how far we can go with these dental cells,” concludes Dr. Montero.

“What we can say today is that the pulp of a baby tooth is an investment, a health bet,” he stated.