Where is dentistry in regenerative medicine?

Where does dentistry fit into the field of regenerative medicine? Based on the fact that the goal of regenerative medicine is to restore function to damaged organs and tissues, it is apparent that dentistry, which has long embraced the concept of restoring function of damaged teeth, has embraced this goal from the very beginning. In this brief review we present the opinion that if you take as the primary criterion the restoration of tissue and organ function, dentistry has not only been at the forefront of restorative medicine but actually predates it in practice. We illustrate the depth and breadth of dental regenerative medicine using examples of therapies or potential therapies from our laboratories. These begin with an example from a historical area of strength, dental implant design and fabrication, progress to a more high tech bone scaffold fabrication project, and finish with a stem cell-based soft tissue engineering project. In the final analysis we believe that the restorative nature of dentistry will keep it at the forefront of regenerative medicine.