Nanomaterials in Craniofacial Tissue Regeneration: A Review

Abstract

Nanotechnology is an exciting and innovative field when combined with tissue engineering, as it offers greater versatility in scaffold design for promoting cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. The use of nanomaterials in craniofacial tissue regeneration is a newly developing field that holds great potential for treating craniofacial defects. This review presents an overview of the nanomaterials used for craniofacial tissue regeneration as well as their clinical applications for periodontal, vascular (endodontics), cartilage (temporomandibular joint), and bone tissue regeneration (dental implants and mandibular defects). To enhance periodontal tissue regeneration, nanohydroxyapatite was used in conjunction with other scaffold materials, such as polylactic acid, poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid), polyamide, chitosan, and polycaprolactone. To facilitate pulp regeneration along with the revascularization of the periapical tissue, polymeric nanofibers were used to simulate extracellular matrix formation. For temporomandibular joint (cartilage) engineering, nanofibrous-type and nanocomposite-based scaffolds improved tissue growth, cell differentiation, adhesion, and synthesis of cartilaginous extracellular matrix. To enhance bone regeneration for dental implants and mandibular bone defects, nanomaterials such as nanohydroxyapatite composite scaffolds, nanomodified mineral trioxide aggregate, and graphene were tested. Although the scientific knowledge in nanomaterials is rapidly advancing, there remain many unexplored data regarding their standardization, safety, and interactions with the nanoenvironment.

Mineral Trioxide Aggregate Applications in Endodontics: A Review

“…All these results extrapolated by the selected articles provide us documented clinical information and the MTA seems to be as having excellent abilities from the point of view of biocompatibility, as could be seen from the studies, but also of stability over time. [39][40][41] The nanocharacteristic of the MTA could be related about its interactions with the human tissue during the endodontic treatment. Remineralizing potential intercepting early lesion progression as nanosized calcium phosphate, carbonate hydroxyapatite nanocrystals, nanoamorphous calcium phosphate, and nanoparticulate bioactive glass particularly with provision of self-assembles protein that furnish essential role in biomimetic repair even in the dental field.…”

The Applications of 3D Printing for Craniofacial Tissue Engineering

“…Printable composite materials are composed of a minimum of two different materials; mixtures for printable composites being used in dentistry are typically composed of copolymers, polymer-polymer mixtures, or polymer-ceramic mixtures; be ceramic-based or hydrogel-based; and can include the addition of biomolecules, carbon nanotubes, and metals [37,50,51]. The mixture will be dependent on the goal of the composite, but it is typically created to manipulate ink properties such as processability, printability, stiffness, and bioactivity [51].…”

“…The mixture will be dependent on the goal of the composite, but it is typically created to manipulate ink properties such as processability, printability, stiffness, and bioactivity [51]. By combining multiple materials, composite materials can harness the benefits of each individual material [50]. For example, the polymer PLA alone has great chemical and physical properties, however, may not be optimally biocompatible as it releases acidic compounds over time.…”

“…The dental pulp is an unmineralized tissue beneath the mineralized hard exterior of the tooth, which plays a crucial role in tooth vitality; injury, alteration, and/or removal of the pulp may lead to tooth necrosis. Additionally, the pulp may also service to provide immunity, nutrition, and sensation as well [50]. As a result, there is a need to focus on protecting the pulp from trauma, and to regenerate the pulp should it be injured.…”

“…While there has not been major success in pulp regeneration due to the challenges met in nurturing, revascularizing, and reinnervating the pulp tissue, a promising direction that researchers are exploring is the use of hydrogels to contain and nurture dental pulp cells [68]. By using hydrogels and other biomaterials as cellular scaffolds to mirror the native in vivo environment, researchers can promote cell growth, differentiation, and morphogenesis [50]. However, the major constraint with using hydrogels alone is that spatial manipulation is limited, i.e., researchers cannot fully control multicellular organization and interaction, thus the overall morphogenesis of the artificial gland or tissue.…”