Advances In Dental Tissue Engineering and Clinical Regeneration

Abstract

Regenerative dentistry is a new discipline in the field of dentistry that seeks to repair and restore the structure and function of damaged dental and craniofacial tissues using the use of stem cells, biomaterials, scaffolds and bioactive molecules. Regenerative strategies are based on biological tissue repair and regeneration, unlike traditional restorative strategies. Dental tissue engineering has seen great promise from the use of various stem cell populations such as dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED), periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), and stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAP) and adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). These cells have been used to successfully regenerate various tissues in regenerative endodontics, periodontal regeneration, alveolar bone reconstruction, and craniofacial tissue repair. Recent improvement in biomaterials and scaffold technologies has also improved the viability of the stem cells, their differentiation and tissue development. With the advent of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and the dental stem cell biobanking, the potential for individualized regenerative therapies is becoming more and more vast. While promising, standardization, long-term safety and clinical translation challenges remain. Future studies are needed to make regenerative dental therapies routine in the clinic.