Tissue engineering- An art and science of regeneration.

ABSTRACT

Tissue engineering is a novel and exciting field that aims to re-create functional, healthy tissues and organs in order to replace diseased, dying, or dead tissues. The association of biomaterials, stem cells, growth and differentiation factors has yielded the development of new treatment opportunities in the field of dentistry. The objective of using tissue engineering as therapeutic application has been to harness its ability to exploit selected and primed cells together with an appropriate mix of regulatory factors, to allow growth and specialization of cells and matrix. Tissue engineering in periodontology applies the principles of engineering and life sciences toward the development of biological techniques that can restore lost alveolar bone, periodontal ligament, and root cementum. This review article focuses on the basics about tissue engineering, its principles and strategies and how these principles can be applied in periodontics to provide us with successful results.