Particulated wisdom teeth as an autologous bone substitute for grafting/filling material in bone defects: Case Report

Dentin Grafts: Navigating the Paradigm Shift in Regenerative Dentistry

The biomaterial of dentin has emerged as a promising candidate for the tissue engineering of dental hard tissues. In bone tissue engineering, it may serve as either a scaffold or a reservoir of growth factors. The physical and chemical similarities between the dentin structure and bone have sparked scientific interest in using its features for the development of a new bone transplant material. Dentin, unlike hard and fragile enamel, is viscoelastic, making it a very effective bone replacement. The regeneration of pulp tissue has proven challenging due to its encasement in dentin, which lacks collateral blood flow except from the apical end of the root. Yet, the emergence of contemporary tissue engineering and the identification of dental stem cells have enabled experimentation with the regeneration of both pulp and dentin. This review will explain the different types of dentin grafts, their biocompatibility, safety, and effectiveness, along with difficulties. Additionally, the paper covers several strategies for creating autogenous dentin grafts and gives evidence-based insights into their clinical effectiveness. Overall, dentin grafts appear as a potential alternative to standard graft materials, stimulating tissue regeneration and enhancing patient outcomes in regenerative dentistry operations.

Varghese R, Sisodia M, Kumar Gupta N, Chandrakar A. Up-cycling the dental waste materials: Going green in dentistry

The depletion of natural resources due to the extensive use of various materials in dentistry is a growing concern. A significant contributor to this issue is the lack of recycling practices, leading to the continuous exploitation of these resources. This research aims to explore simple yet effective scientific techniques to up-cycle common dental materials while maintaining their properties. The focus of modern practices should align with the 3R's-Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. In dental institutions and clinics, materials like dental plaster and dental stone, extensively used for pouring impressions, are completely discarded as waste. This study involves collecting these waste products and evaluating their properties for potential reuse. Additionally, endodontic materials such as stainless steel hand files and rotary Ni-Ti files, typically discarded, can be recycled in metallurgical departments and repurposed into custom-made cast posts and titanium posts, respectively. The wisdom tooth crush technique is explored for its application as autologous graft material in filling bone defects. Discarded alginate impressions, widely used in Prosthodontics, are heated and repurposed as a denture polishing agent and as a fertilizer in agriculture. Excess glass ionomer cement, a common restorative material, can be repurposed into polishing cones and powders, or used as a polishing agent with rubber cups and buffs. Modeling wax, predominantly used in occlusal rim fabrication, can be collected and purified, with 90% of it recoverable without compromising its properties. Finally, discarded dental burs can be repurposed to splint implant impression copings, aiding in the accurate transfer of orientation, a critical step in implant prosthodontics. This study advocates for the adoption of recycling practices in dental colleges and among practitioners to manage and reuse the waste generated in the field. By doing so, the treatment cost can be reduced by 30-40%, and natural resources can be conserved, contributing to the preservation of the Earth's resources.

Effect of lentivirus-mediated BMP2 from autologous tooth on the proliferative and osteogenic capacity of human periodontal ligament cells

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Periodontitis is a chronic progressive inflammation that invades periodontal supporting tissues, in which periodontal tissue regeneration engineering offers new hope for prevention and treatment, including seed cells, scaffolds, and growth factors. In recent years, scholars have shown that autologous teeth can be used as new bone tissue repair materials for periodontal regeneration and bone tissue repair. The aim of this study was to establish a human periodontal ligament cell line that expresses the human bone morphogenetic protein 2 gene (BMP2) in a stable manner using lentiviral mediation in order to explore the effect of BMP2 from autologous tooth on the proliferative and osteogenic capacity of human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Human periodontal ligament cells were cultured, subcultured, and identified, and then homologous recombinant lentivirus plasmid plv-BMP2 was constructed and transfected into the third passage (P₃ ) hPDLCs. After that, the effect of BMP2 on its proliferation was detected by CCK-8, at the same time, the osteogenic induction of hPDLCs was carried out at 7, 14, and 21 days, and then the effect of BMP2 on its osteogenic ability was detected by alizarin red staining, alkaline phosphatase activity determination, and the mRNA expression levels of osteogenic-related genes using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, including alkaline phosphatase, runt-related transcription factor 2, bone sialoprotein, osteocalcin, osteopontin, and collagen I. Finally, spss26.0 software was used for statistical processing.

RESULTS

The results showed that cells transfected with the homologous recombinant lentiviral plasmid pLV-BMP2 had a similar morphology to normal hPDLCs, showing a typical radial arrangement; the cell proliferative capacity of the pLV-BMP2 group as measured by CCK-8 was enhanced compared with the control group and the pLV-puro group (p < .05); alizarin red staining and alkaline phosphatase activity assay showed that the osteogenic ability of pLV-BMP2 was significantly enhanced compared with the control and pLV-puro groups (p < .01), and the findings of real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR showed high expression of osteogenic-related genes in pLV-BMP2 group (p < .01).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, a stable periodontal ligament cell line overexpressing BMP2 was successfully established by a lentivirus-mediated method, which proved that BMP2 has a strong ability to promote the proliferation and osteogenesis of hPDLCs, thereby providing an opportunity for the study of periodontal tissue regeneration as well as providing an experimental basis for the application of autologous teeth as a new type of bone repair material for periodontal therapy and even for maxillofacial bone tissue repair.

Innovative Concepts and Recent Breakthrough for Engineered Graft and Constructs for Bone Regeneration: A Literature Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

For decades, regenerative medicine and dentistry have been improved with new therapies and innovative clinical protocols. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate through a critical review the recent innovations in the field of bone regeneration with a focus on the healing potentials and clinical protocols of bone substitutes combined with engineered constructs, growth factors and photobiomodulation applications.

METHODS

A Boolean systematic search was conducted by PubMed/Medline, PubMed/Central, Web of Science and Google scholar databases according to the PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

After the initial screening, a total of 304 papers were considered eligible for the qualitative synthesis. The articles included were categorized according to the main topics: alloplastic bone substitutes, autologous teeth derived substitutes, xenografts, platelet-derived concentrates, laser therapy, microbiota and bone metabolism and mesenchymal cells construct.

CONCLUSIONS

The effectiveness of the present investigation showed that the use of biocompatible and bio-resorbable bone substitutes are related to the high-predictability of the bone regeneration protocols, while the oral microbiota and systemic health of the patient produce a clinical advantage for the long-term success of the regeneration procedures and implant-supported restorations. The use of growth factors is able to reduce the co-morbidity of the regenerative procedure ameliorating the post-operative healing phase. The LLLT is an adjuvant protocol to improve the soft and hard tissues response for bone regeneration treatment protocols.