title: Current strategies and applications of tissue engineering in dentistry--a review part 1.
abstract: A new direction in the field of vital pulp therapy is given by the introduction of tissue engineering as an emerging science. It aims to regenerate a functional tooth-tissue structure by the interplay of three basic key elements: stem cells, morphogens and scaffolds. It is a multidisciplinary approach that combines the principles of biology, medicine, and engineering to repair and/or regenerate a damaged tissue and/or organ. This two part article reviews and discusses the basic concept and strategies so far studied and researched for the engineering of basic dental tissues, to restore a functional tooth anatomy. This first part focuses on a detailed description of key elements used in tissue engineering and their applied clinical applications in dentistry. The second part will deal with the strategies that are being used and/or developed to regenerate the tooth tissues with the help of this scientific principle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The field of tissue engineering has recently shown promising results and a good prospect in dentistry for the development of the most ideal restorations to replace the lost tooth structure with a functional replacement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, India.
authors.forename: Neeraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kundabala
authors.forename: Shashirashmi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Acharya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000145:classification; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000166:cytology; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000145:classification; D014070:Tooth / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins