Tissue engineering for periodontal regeneration.

As a result of periodontal regeneration research, a series of clinical techniques have emerged that permit tissue engineering to be performed for more efficient regeneration and repair of periodontal defects and improved implant site development. Historically, periodontal regeneration research has focused on a quest for "magic filler" material. This search has led to the development of techniques utilizing autologous bone and bone marrow, allografts, xenografts, and various man-made bone substitutes. Though these techniques have had limited success, the desire for a more effective regenerative approach has resulted in the development of tissue engineering techniques. Tissue engineering is a relatively new field of reconstructive biology which utilizes mechanical, cellular, or biologic mediators to facilitate reconstruction/regeneration of a particular tissue. In periodontology, the concept of tissue engineering had its beginnings with guided tissue regeneration, a mechanical approach utilizing nonresorbable membranes to obtain regeneration in defects. In dental implantology, guided bone regeneration membranes +/- mechanical support are used for bone augmentation of proposed implant placement sites. With the availability of partially purified protein mixture from developing teeth and growth factors from recombinant technology, a new era of tissue engineering whereby biologic mediators can be used for periodontal regeneration. The advantage of recombinant growth factors is this tissue engineering device is consistent in its regenerative capacity, and variations in regenerative response are due to individual healing response and/or poor surgical techniques. In this article, the authors review how tissue engineering has advanced and discuss its impact on the clinical management of both periodontal and osseous defects in preparation for implant placement. An understanding of these new tissue engineering techniques is essential for comprehending today's ever-expanding oral plastic surgery procedures.