Tissue engineering strategies in dental implantology

Abstract

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine strategies have gained increased attention in dental implantology, since dental implantology faces new challenges in clinical dentistry. Whereas conventional implant placement and implant loading protocols under ideal anatomical and biological conditions seem to be clinically solved, engineering and regenerative strategies are aimed at allowing implant placement under compromised conditions (lack of bone or mucosa tissue, impaired regenerative capacity, need for early loading protocols). To understand the new approaches in engineering and regenerative medicine therapies, it is important to recapitulate the history and basics of implant dentistry in order assess the clinical impact of new approaches. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.