Tissue Engineering and Life Long Oral Health are the Trends Of The Future

VISION 1 – Restoration to Regeneration

The current trend is moving from replacing tissue to healing it, that is, from restorative to regenerative dentistry. Synthetic osteo – conductive bone replacement materials, which are already used today, will be optimized the future. Furthermore they will be given additional osteoinductive properties by incorporating biological growth factors. For this purpose, suitable signaling molecules and matrices will be combined and a newly formed tissue implanted in the patient. Throughout the world, interdisciplinary research groups are using biotechnology methods to improve the treatment of exposed pulp, regenerating the dental supporting tissue and to develop natural biological fillings and even to re – grow entire teeth from bodies own cells.

VISION II – Lifelong oral health

In future, microbiological test carried out in practice will be used to detect harmful bio film that causes carries and gum infections within few minutes. The type and extent of infection will be discussed with the patient immediately. Furthermore the dental team will have the possibility to heal the patient by selectively combating the pathogenesis that is causing the diseases. This prebiotic treatment approaches based on specific bioactive agents, who are dispensed in the form of dental varnishes or mouth washes. These active agents will eliminate the pathogens in plaque that causes decay of the teeth or gum infection. And convert the plaque into a tooth friendly biofilm.

If the infection should recur, that is, if the tooth friendly bio film should become invaded by harmful bacteria, this could be detected during a routine dental checkup and probiotic treatment could be resumed. This is a tremendous step towards maintain lifelong oral health.