Tissue engineering - the promise of regenerative dentistry

The science of tissue engineering aims at the repair of damaged tissues as well as creates replacement of the lostones. This is becoming a major component of the regenerative medicine by combining the principles oftransplantation, materials science and bioengineering to restore a diseased or a damaged tissue to normal function.The earliest attempts at tissue replacement thousands of years back involved teeth and even in modern times,dentistry has continued to place considerable emphasis on the study and use of biocompatible materials. For most ofthe general dental practitioners restoration of lost tooth tissue, whether from disease or trauma, represents asignificant proportion of their daily routine. Considering the current prevalence of the dental diseases, it can be saidthat the challenge and resource burden of restoring lost tooth tissue will be with us for many years to come. Tissueengineering will have a considerable effect on dental practice during the next coming years. The greatest effects willlikely be related to the repair and replacement of mineralized tissues, the promotion of oral wound healing, correctionof craniofacial abnormalities, integration of biocompatible prosthetic implant materials with the oral tissues, theregeneration of dental hard and soft tissues and the use of gene transfer adjunctively. The purpose of this briefreview is to provide the general dental practitioner a background of tissue engineering, its accomplishments indentistry and its future promises to the profession in the form of regenerative dentistry.