Prospectives for using artificial scaffolds in oral and craniofacial surgery: Literature review

Abstract

Regenerative medicine is an emerging field of biotechnology that combines various aspects of medicine including cell and molecular biology, material science and bioen-gineering – to regenerate, repair or replace tissues. Bone regeneration is a promising approach in dentistry and is considered an ideal clinical strategy in treating diseases, injuries, and defects of the maxillofacial area. Advances in tissue engineering have resulted in the development of innovative scaffold designs, complemented by the progress made in cell-based therapies. In vitro bone regeneration can be achieved by the combination of stem cells, scaffolds, and bioactive factors. A possible improvement in restoring damaged tissues may be achieved by load- ing the scaffolds with drug substances, as well as genetic material, growth factors or other proteins, promoting the tissue regeneration. This review focuses on different biomaterials currently used in dentistry, as potential scaffolds for bone regeneration when treating bone defects, or in surgical interventions, including characteristics and types of these scaffolds, and a literature review of local antibiotic delivery by combined usage of scaffolds and drug-delivery systems.