Tissue Engineering in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Reconstruction of facio-maxillary continuity defects has always been a demanding tasks for surgeons over the years, which is a demanding task due to the exclusive anatomical complexity of the tissue, aesthetic & functional requirements. The main goal is to restore facial form and function. Reconstruction with autografts, allografts and xenografts are continuing to evolve, as they are associated with inherent donor site morbidity, limits their use in certain applications. These shortcomings led to a new field of research in cell isolation and culture procedures, combined with growing understanding and use of molecular biology and biochemistry techniques, entitled "tissue engineering". There has been escalating progress in regenerating oral and maxillofacial tissues both in vitro as well as in animal models. Significant challenges remain before these techniques are embraced as a feasible clinical modality. This book reviews the concepts and future directions in tissue-engineering to regenerate and reconstruct deficient structures in facio-maxillofacial region.