Biomaterials in tooth tissue engineering: a review.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Biomaterials are essential for creating tissue engineering scaffolds, which are porous structures that support cell growth and tissue regeneration.
• Polymers are widely used due to their tunable properties like porosity, surface area, and mechanical strength, but often a combination of materials is needed.
• Current research focuses on biomaterials that mimic the native extracellular environment to promote cell-cell and cell-scaffold interactions for functional tissue regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of available biomaterials for tissue engineering.
• To highlight the application of nano engineering principles in developing bioactive scaffolds.
• To focus on the specific use of these advanced scaffolds in tooth regeneration.

Main Methods:

• Review of natural and synthetic biomaterials used in tissue engineering.
• Discussion of polymer properties and tailoring for scaffold fabrication.
• Exploration of advanced fabrication techniques and nano engineering principles.

Main Results:

• Biomaterials, particularly polymers, offer versatile properties for scaffold fabrication.
• Combining multiple biomaterials and advanced techniques can overcome limitations of single materials.
• Nano engineering enables the creation of bioactive scaffolds that better replicate native tissue microenvironments.

Conclusions:

• The development of sophisticated biomaterials and fabrication techniques is crucial for successful tissue engineering.
• Nano engineering offers promising avenues for designing advanced bioactive scaffolds.
• These advancements hold significant potential for applications in tooth regeneration.