Fig. 1.

Schematic representation of critical steps followed from tooth selection to DPSCs cryopreservation and applications. Each step summarizes critical factors that should be considered for optimization in order to improve DPSCs culture and stability during manufacturing. For tooth selection, several factors related to donor characteristics must be considered to establish specific criteria according to research interests. As we can see, many key factors fall into cell culture formulation suggesting that this issue is one of the most important to establish general or tailored protocols and obtain DPSCs with specific properties, as well as the long-term maintenance of cultures. Homogeneous populations of DPSCs may be cryopreserved or directly applied to basic or clinical research, either previous or simultaneous molecular and biochemical characterization. A quality control assessment (blue box) should be required not only for banking, but also to ensure the safety of these stem cells before application. (Color figure online)