Tissue Regeneration: Current Concepts in Periodontics

Tissue Engineering is the use of a combination of cells, engineering and materials methods, and suitable biochemical and physio-chemical factors to improve or replace biological functions. Tissue engineering can hence be defined as “understanding the principles of tissue growth, and applying this to produce functional replacement tissue for clinical use.” Tissue engineering was once considered a sub field of biomaterials but is now considered a field in its own right. It also constitutes an integral part of all surgical disciplines. This article reviews the past and present concepts of tissue engineering along with a brief discussion of the trends that can be expected in the future. It also discusses the various components of tissue engineering and the different commercially available products and their sources.