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Only On CBS2: Parents Paying Big Bucks To Store Children's Teeth For Later Stem Cell Use

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Four-year-old Blair is about to lose her first tooth. Her parents have chosen to put it in a deep freeze that may help her one day.

They are following the advice of health care professionals who promote saving children's teeth in order to harvest stem cells if a future emergency calls for it.

North Hollywood Dentist Nina Gray is a local health authority who promotes the service.

A company called Store-A-Tooth is offering to keep children's teeth on reserve.

Dr. Peter Verlander, of Store-A-Tooth, said the stored stem cells could one day be used to treat a number of serious diseases, like Leukemia, diabetes and neurological disease.

The company charges $649 to collect and process the extracted teeth and an additional $120 per year to keep them frozen in a lab.

Stem cell researcher Dr. John Kessler said companies like this are praying on the fears of parents.

The technology is in the early stages of development. Researchers say that there could be hope for older kids and adults to extract and harvest their wisdom teeth, with attached blood supply, to be frozen for later use.

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