Current Advances in Oral and Craniofacial Tissue Engineering

Book excerpt: Oral tissue engineering involves the study of current approaches for in vitro regeneration of soft and hard tissues located into the oral cavity. In this context, recent approaches involves the use of innovative biomaterials to replace the lost or damaged human oral tissues. Recent discoveries in materials science and nanotechnology are drastically changing the traditional approach to dentistry by the design of innovative devices able more efficiently supporting the natural regeneration process. The objective of this book is to highlight current progress in tissue engineering for various dental hard/soft tissues including enamel, dentin, pulp, alveolar bone, periodontium, gum and oral mucosa, by emphasizing the role of materials and their specific applications.