Book Section #4219

Abstract

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of the gums which spreads and affects the supporting tooth structures possibly leading to the loosening and loss of the tooth. Periodontal tissue engineering is considered a relatively new technique for the stimulation of the periodontal tissue formation using the basics of regenerative medicine. In this method, biodegradable porous scaffolds are employed as a temporary substitution of the injured or lost tissues to facilitate the regeneration process. Scaffolds are usually made of natural or synthetic polymers and ceramics doped with various nanobiomaterials for an intended functionalization. The addition of nanoparticles into the scaffold structure not only enhances the biomineralization potential of the composite scaffolds, but also improves their mechanical properties. Nanosized ceramic particles are of special importance as they mimic the mineral crystal structure of the natural tissues. They have been demonstrated to induce a considerable enhancement in the protein absorption and the cell adhesion compared to their micro-sized counterparts. This chapter reviews different nanobiomaterials employed in periodontal tissue engineering for the effective regeneration of lost tissues and discuss their benefits and drawbacks. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.