Just wondering if anyone on CC has heard/used or researched this company/services and if this makes any sense to do? I tried to search CC but STORE TOOTH and STEM bring back every shopping, dental, and engineering post on the website? Sounds very interesting.
The company is headquartered in MA, which is slightly in its favor if only because it’s not Eritrea or the Cayman Islands. They also have FDA and ADA approval (though some things I’ve read in recent years show that this isn’t always difficult to obtain - a scary thought).
That’s about all I can say in its favor. Not that I can say much against the company either, but my gut feeling is that I’d be very wary of their services, for a few reasons.
Firstly, there’s the company’s initial premise, which is that a child’s stem cells need to be banked - NOW! - before they start to decay with age. Embryonic stem cells can be used for almost any treatment, as they can become almost any cell type. Somatic stem cells (found in the body) remain usable at any age. You could be 100 and your stem cells would still be usable. Many Alzheimer’s treatments under development involve use of elderly patients’ stem cells. It’s also possible to create something called Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (IPSCs), which mimic the properties of embryonic stem cells in many ways. IPSCs were developed in part due to objections to the use of embryonic stem cells, although they’re a relatively new discovery. So there are many alternatives to the method Store-A-Tooth suggests.
There’s also their reliance on personal anecdotes in selling their treatments, which is always a red flag in my mind - whether someone’s trying to sell a medical treatment, a political ideology, or a box of cookies.
http://www.store-a-tooth.com/parent-perspectives#.VoQLsPkrIgs
Additionally, the company offers its partners a $100 “finder’s fee” (see clause 4a of their terms and conditions for partners - link below), and it’s not unheard of for such contracts to distort a medical professional’s incentives.
http://www.store-a-tooth.com/healthcare-providers/tc_v051412
The other point that inclines me to skepticism is the nature of the company itself. Store-A-Tooth is the a trademark of Provia Laboratories, an LLC headquartered in Littleton. Their sales last year are listed as approximately 3/4 of a million $. The detailed report is blocked by a paywall, but I’m skeptical. Firstly because an LLC with a relatively low profile and little in the way of assets is a perfect way to avoid liability in the event of a class-action suit (for instance), and secondly for reasons I’ll detail later.
http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/company-search.html?term=provia%20laboratories
Provia Laboratories is, in turn, owned by Grace Century, a private equity firm headquartered in Ras al Khaimah, in the UAE. Another LLC, as it happens. Here’s one of their press releases.
http://www.e-dental.com/doc/grace-century-announces-record-enrollment-for-its-bio-banking-0001
Another source gives Grace Century’s headquarters as Hong Kong.
This private equity firm has held on to a company with sales - not profits - of $760,000, and has done so since it was founded in 2009 (this according to Bloomberg). Either they expect its profits to increase sharply before long, or there’s a reason Provia Labs is an LLC owned by an LLC.
http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=261361198
My gut feeling would be healthy skepticism of the company. If you know any medical professionals - especially in the relevant fields, stem cell research and dental care - I’d definitely ask their opinion. I’m no medical professional, or lawyer, or accountant, but you’ve piqued my interest, and this is the information I was able to find about the company. Make of it what you will, and perhaps some people who are doctors, or lawyers, will be able to offer their own input based on the above info.
Wow - so much more than I’ve picked in a quick search - so how much do I owe you for this? Thanks for getting me on the right track!
I either have too much time on my hands, have the paranoia to work for the FBI, or am just making a mountain out of a molehill. Definitely ask the opinion of someone who knows more about the medical specialty in question than I do before coming to any definitive conclusions, because I could be completely wrong about this company.
If any of this does eventually prove helpful, I’m glad I could be of use.
VERY impressive research @NotVerySmart!!
you’ll be my go to guy if I have any questions re startup biotech conmpanies!
I think you provided a great outline to follow to analyze just about any company @notverysmart! You certainly are not living up to your user name 
I’ve asked relatives who are dentists as well as our personal dentist and oral surgeon. None are impressed with this “service.”
Thanks - now I’m interested in any research and clinical trials of adult stem cell use in battling dementia which my mother unfortunately has and is progressing rather fast.
We looked into this briefly because my daughter will be having her wisdom teeth removed soon and has a condition for which stem cell therapy is promising. A friend who works at Tufts dental school confirmed that there is a lot of research being done with dental stem cells. However, the costs associated with this company’s services were very high and the general thought from people in the field we spoke with was that her age at the time stem cells are recovered isn’t likely to be crucial, so we did not pursue it.