Tissue Engineering: Opening New Vistas in Periodontics

Tissue engineering is an emerging interdisciplinary field which applies the principles of biology and engineering to the development of viable substitutes which restore, maintain, or improve the function of human tissues. This form of therapy differs from standard drug therapy in that the engineered tissue becomes integrated within the patient, affording a potentially permanent and specific cure of the disease state. Tissue engineering in periodontology applies the principles of engineering and life sciences towards the development of biological techniques that can restore lost alveolar bone, periodontal ligament, and root cementum. This book is an excellent compilation of the fundamentals of tissue engineering and describes current regenerative procedures for periodontal healing and regeneration. It also explores the progress of tissue engineering in the field of periodontology since its inception, with particular emphasis placed upon current challenges and future possibilities associated with tissue-engineering strategies in periodontal regenerative medicine.