Periodontal Tissue Engineering and Regeneration
Summary
Periodontal tissue engineering and regeneration seeks to restore the form and function of the periodontium, the complex of alveolar bone, cementum and periodontal ligament that secures teeth in the jaw. Chronic periodontitis damages these supporting structures, often leading to tooth loss and diminished quality of life worldwide. Traditional approaches such as guided tissue regeneration and bone grafting offer limited predictability, especially for larger defects or in compromised sites. By integrating biomaterials, cells and bioactive signals, tissue engineering aims to recapitulate the native microenvironment and orchestrate the coordinated regeneration of hard and soft tissues. Key strategies include the design of scaffolds with tailored porosity and mechanical properties, the use of mesenchymal stem cells or endogenous cell homing, and the controlled delivery of growth factors and gene-therapy vectors. Advances in additive manufacturing, nanoscale materials and decellularised matrices now offer unprecedented control over spatial patterning and biochemical presentation, improving cell attachment, differentiation and vascularisation. Successful periodontal regeneration must achieve the oblique insertion of new ligament fibres into newly formed cementum and bone, reconstituting the functional attachment apparatus and restoring masticatory biomechanics.
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Periodontal Tissue Engineering and Regeneration publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in periodontal tissue engineering and regeneration across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Periodontium: The collective tissues—cementum, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone—that support and anchor teeth.
Scaffold: A three-dimensional, porous structure that provides mechanical support and guides cell growth during tissue formation.
Periodontal ligament (PDL): A fibrous connective tissue that secures the tooth root to the surrounding alveolar bone and absorbs masticatory forces.
Cementum: A specialised mineralised tissue covering the root surface, facilitating attachment of PDL fibres.
Guided tissue regeneration (GTR): A clinical technique using barrier membranes to direct selective repopulation of periodontal defects by regenerative cells.
References
- Melt electrowriting scaffolds with fibre-guiding features for periodontal attachment. Acta Biomaterialia (2024).
- Periodontal Bone-Ligament-Cementum Regeneration via Scaffolds and Stem Cells. Cells (2019).
- Current and future trends in periodontal tissue engineering and bone regeneration. Plastic and Aesthetic Research (2021).
- 3D‐Printed Scaffolds and Biomaterials: Review of Alveolar Bone Augmentation and Periodontal Regeneration Applications. International Journal of Dentistry (2016).
- Regenerative Medicine Technologies to Treat Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Defects. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (2021).
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