Biodegradable polymers in dental tissue engineering and regeneration

• Main Authors: Raffaele Conte, Anna Di Salle, Francesco Riccitiello, Orsolina Petillo, Gianfranco Peluso, Anna Calarco
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AIMS Press 2018-11-01
• Series: AIMS Materials Science
• Subjects: biodegradable polymers; biomaterials; tissue engineering; tissue regeneration; endodontic; oral drug delivery
• Online Access: http://www.aimspress.com/Materials/article/3177/fulltext.html

Over the last decade, biodegradable polymers (BP) replaced traditional non-degradable materials in dental and maxillo-facial surgery, in particular for bone regeneration and periodontal care, due to their ability to break down and be absorbed by the body without producing harmful degradation products, along with their great potential for controlled drug delivery, wound management, dental restorations, and tissue engineering. This review described the physical–chemical characteristics of these materials, classified them based on their sensitivity on hydrolytic or enzyme degradation, and described their recent application in both restorative and regenerative dentistry.