Biomineralization and its role in dentistry: Bioactive materials and future prospects

Abstract

There is a constant search for materials capable of promoting formation of a physically, chemically, and biologically functional tissue as a replacement of a damaged tissue. Initially, in dentistry, researchers sought materials to replace lost bone tissue after trauma, degenerative diseases, or tumors. Small lesions caused by endodontic and periodontal infections or bony loss after tooth extraction have also become targets for the use of materials capable of facilitating the recovery of bone tissue at these sites. With technological advances, bioactive materials, or biomaterials, were created by investigators who work in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. These materials interact biologically with the tissue to perform a function similar to that of the tissue being replaced. Thus, it is possible to create biomaterials capable of restoring lost mineralized tissues. These findings prompted bold theories in dentistry, e.g., the search for replication of structures such enamel and dentine, with complete morphological and functional characteristics, for the purpose of regeneration of a dental element. It is exciting when we encounter these advances. Mesenchymal stem cells of dental pulp have gained interest among researchers because these cells show accelerated proliferation and the ability to form mineralized tissue. Thus, studies are devoted to the search for materials capable of stimulating osteogenic differentiation of these cells. Various studies evaluated the capacity for formation of hard tissue by means of biomaterials through histological analysis. Currently, researchers seek to analyze the gene expression of mineralized matrix markers, as evidence of the capacity of bioactive materials for induction of mineralization. Several biomaterials are used in dentistry and in its numerous applications such as remineralization of enamel and dentin, apical sealing with a hard tissue, bone neoformation or replacement of the lost bone tissue, or incorporation of alloys for production of bioactive implants. Today, all the areas of dentistry deal with tissue engineering and discovery of biomaterials. This chapter discusses the role of biomineralization in various fields of dentistry, the emergence of new materials, and future prospects.