Cord Blood vs. Baby Teeth?

File this one under "wow, that's interesting"!

There may be evidence to suggest that cells found in baby teeth (sometimes referred to as milk teeth) may have properties similar to the stem cells found in umbilical cord blood. That's right, the tooth fairy has been running off with potentially life-saving treatment sources for centuries!

Already, at least one business has been created to assist in the accumulation and storage of baby teeth due to the potential therapeutic value of the cells contained within them.

It's too early to claim that baby teeth have any more potential value than cord blood, but the prospects are interesting. After all, you only get one opportunity to secure umbilical cord blood, but every kid has a mouthful of baby teeth!

You can read more about the milk teeth cells here.