Tooth depository available for teaching and research

The WVU School of Dentistry Department of Dental Research has a Research Labs Tooth Depository Tissue Bank on file with the IRB (registration #T2017.07) available for use by students, faculty and staff.

The main purpose of the Tooth Depository is to have a centralized collection of extracted, de-identified teeth that students, faculty and staff can use for teaching or research.

When used in research, requests from the dental depository will be considered on an individual basis and the teeth will be used to address scientific questions with adequate merit to justify experimentation involving human teeth.

• The PI understands that students, who have requested discarded extracted teeth from dentists for use for the students' education and training for their dental laboratory courses, who no longer need the teeth for such purposes, may contribute them to the depository. These teeth have no identifiable information and will be used to replenish the tooth depository as needed.
• The PI understands that WVU Oral Surgery collects teeth with no identifiable information for educational purposes and may also be contributed to the depository. These teeth have no identifiable information and will be used to replenish the tooth depository as needed.
• PIs understand the collection of specific teeth for the purpose of research from any dentist (WVU Oral Surgery and community dentists) outside the tooth depository necessitates the submission and approval of an IRB application (with appropriate consent).

The inception of the WVU SOD Research Labs Tooth Depository has been beneficial to many dental hygiene students, predoctoral students, postdoctoral residents, SOM Master of Health Sciences students and faculty alike, fulfilling the requirements for academic research classes, capstone projects and graduate master’s thesis. These projects have received recognition through presentations at local, state and national conferences, peer-reviewed publications and coverage by local, state and national news media outlets.

To ensure continued benefits for future teaching and research, the WVU SOD Research Labs Tooth Depository must be diligently stocked. If you would like to donate/contribute to the WVU SOD Research Labs Tooth Depository, please contact Chris Waters, research labs director.

If you would like to utilize the depository, contact Chris Waters. The request form must be completed prior to release.

Any questions can be directed to Chris Waters.