Scaffold Materials and Dental Stem Cells in Dental Tissue Regeneration

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Tissue engineering, as a multidisciplinary approach, is a research topic in medicine, but also in dentistry, to build structures, such as enamel, the dentin-pulp complex, the periodontium, or even whole teeth. The purpose of this review is to describe the latest developments in dental tissue engineering, where some of them will change our treatment concepts in dentistry in the near future, and to discuss hurdles and challenges.

Recent Findings

Sophisticated scaffold materials for dental tissue engineering can be fabricated today. No longer only bioinert, but tailor-made for specific applications, biomimetic and bioactive through biochemical and physical cues, growth and differentiation factors, they are able to elicit specific cellular responses, and thus control new tissue formation. Dental stem cells can not only be isolated from various sources but used for their paracrine activity, synergistic effects with epithelial cells exploited, and their behavior modulated by epigenetics. A better understanding of the interplay between cell differentiation and immune and inflammatory stimuli is crucial for the regeneration of tissues, which are constantly confronted with microorganisms. Examples for recent developments include commercially available products for the treatment of initial enamel lesions, a pilot clinical study for dentin-pulp complex regeneration, preclinical trials using cell sheets for periodontal regeneration, and the investigation of various cell sources for whole-tooth engineering.

Summary

This review highlights recent advances in dental tissue engineering, discusses some of the shortcomings and describes visions and future challenges.

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