Polymers for Osmotic Self-Inflating Expanders in Oral Surgical Procedures: A Comprehensive Review

Soft-tissue expansion is a critical challenge in regenerative oral surgeries. This scoping review maps the research on polymers used in osmotic self-inflating expanders, assessing their applications, characteristics, and potential in oral surgical procedures. The study analyzed 19 articles from the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases, primarily focusing on in vivo research (78.9%) investigating polymeric tissue expanders. The review examined polymer compositions, methodologies, and tissue responses across various animal models. Osmed^® hydrogel was the most studied material, with research exploring its expansion capabilities in rabbits, goats, pigs, rats, and beagle dogs. The findings showed diverse tissue expansion ranges and minimal inflammatory responses, indicating the potential for oral surgical applications. Despite promising results, gaps such as inconsistent expansion measurements and the lack of standardized protocols were identified. These findings highlight the need for further research to develop new polymer formulations and optimize device design to enhance safety, efficacy, and clinical predictability. This review provides a foundation for advancing polymeric tissue expander technologies, offering the potential for safer and more effective minimally invasive regenerative oral surgeries.