Biomaterials and Bioceramics—Part 1: Traditional, Natural, and Nano

Abstract

Even though the utilization of manmade and natural materials in the repair and reconstruction of bodily organs and tissues dates back to pre-historic times, their exploitation during the past number of decades have been fast-tracked significantly in the arenas of scientific research and clinical applications. Recognizing on the nanoscale the importance of implant-tissue interactions has resulted in the widespread development and utilization of nanotechnology in biomedical science and engineering. This notion is reinforced by the belief that functional nanostructured materials are proficient of being altered and included into a variety of biomedical implants and devices. Furthermore, natural nanostructured architecture is displayed by a variety of biological systems such as membranes, viruses, and protein complex. Conversely, highly functional architectural structures with interconnecting open pores can be discovered easily from within the marine environment. The exploitation of ready-made organic and inorganic marine skeletons has created opportunities as they could theoretically present one of the modest solutions to significant issues deterring the future research and development concerning regenerative medicine in dentistry and orthopedics such as providing ample and available supplies of osteopromotive analogues and biomineralization proteins as well as a richness of framework designs and devices. Irrespective of the conditions in which marine organisms are utilized (i.e., in their original form or converted to materials more ideal for human implantations), they are structured and created from materials that possess various characteristics and properties especially their chemical composition and high mechanical strength which affirm their potential applications in dentistry and orthopedics. The first part of the two-part chapter aims to give an overview of the different types of biomaterials and bioceramics as well as their production technique that are currently used in a number of clinical applications in dentistry and orthopedics. A brief insight into the nature, morphology, and application of marine-derived biomaterials are also provided.