Oral tissue engineering progress and challenges

Abstract

Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary science. The progress of tissue engineering for dental tissues is promising and various dental soft and hard tissues have been regenerated successfully in vitro using stem cells. Prior to their applications practically, there are a number of challenges and unanswered questions that need to be resolved for further progress. It is expected that in next two to three decades, the field of dentistry will be changed significantly by the availability of innovative tissue engineered products in dental office. The objective of this review paper is to highlight the progress of tissue engineering for various dental hard and soft tissues such as enamel, dentin, alveolar bone, periodontium, oral mucosa, and salivary glands. In addition, the challenges in the progress of tissue engineering and future expectations have been discussed.