• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.67-73
• /
• 2021

This study summarizes the recent cutting-edge approaches for dentin regeneration that still do not offer adequate solutions. Tertiary dentin is formed when odontoblasts are directly affected by various stimuli. Recent preclinical studies have reported that stimulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway could facilitate the formation of reparative dentin and thereby aid in the structural and functional development of the tertiary dentin. A range of signaling pathways, including the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, is activated when dental tissues are damaged and the pulp is exposed. The application of small molecules for dentin regeneration has been suggested as a drug repositioning approach. This study reviews the role of Wnt signaling in tooth formation, particularly dentin formation and dentin regeneration. In addition, the application of the drug repositioning strategy to facilitate the development of new drugs for dentin regeneration has been discussed in this study.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.25-31
• /
• 2020

Enamel knot (EK)-a signaling center-refers to a transient morphological structure comprising epithelial tissue. EK is believed to regulate tooth development in early organogenesis without its own cellular alterations, including proliferation and differentiation. EKs show a very simple but conserved structure and share functions with teeth of recently evolved vertebrates, suggesting conserved signaling in certain organs, such as functional teeth, through the course of evolution. In this study, we examined the expression patterns of key EK-specific genes including Dusp26, Fat4, Meis2, Sln, and Zpld1 during mice embryogenesis. Expression patterns of these genes may reveal putative differentiation mechanisms underlying tooth morphogenesis.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.49-55
• /
• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to preliminarily evaluate the influence of diabetes mellitus (DM) on periodontal tissue without establishment of periodontitis. Methods: Seven-week-old db/db mice were used for the diabetic experimental group and systematically healthy mice of the same age were used as controls. After 1 week of acclimatization, the animals were sacrificed for hard and soft tissue evaluation. The pattern of bone destruction was evaluated by stereomicroscope evaluation with alizarin red staining and radiographic evaluation by microscopic computerized tomography images. Histological evaluation was performed with hematoxylin and eosin stain for evaluation of soft tissue changes. Results: In both stereomicroscope evaluation and radiograph image analysis, aggressive form of bone destruction was observed in diabetic animals when compared to the systematically healthy controls. In histological evaluation, apical migration of junctional epithelium with slight inflammatory cell infiltration was observed with disarrangement of connective tissue fibers. Conclusions: Within the limits of this study, diabetic animals presented distortion in periodontal attachment and an aggressive bone loss pattern when compared to the healthy controls, suggesting that DM has an independent effect on periodontal tissue destruction irrespective of the presence or absence of periodontal disease.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.52 no.2
• /
• pp.170-180
• /
• 2022

Purpose: This study was conducted to assess the effect of hard and/or soft tissue grafting on immediate implants in a preclinical model. Methods: In 5 mongrel dogs, the distal roots of P2 and P3 were extracted from the maxilla (4 sites in each animal), and immediate implant placement was performed. Each site was randomly assigned to 1 of the following 4 groups: i) gap filling with guided bone regeneration (the GBR group), ii) subepithelial connective tissue grafting (the SCTG group), iii) GBR and SCTG (the GBR/SCTG group), and iv) no further treatment (control). Non-submerged healing was provided for 4 months. Histological and histomorphometric analyses were performed. Results: Peri-implant tissue height and thickness favored the SCTG group (height of periimplant mucosa: 1.14 mm; tissue thickness at the implant shoulder and ±1 mm from the shoulder: 1.14 mm, 0.78 mm, and 1.57 mm, respectively; median value) over the other groups. Bone grafting was not effective at the level of the implant shoulder and on the coronal level of the shoulder. In addition, simultaneous soft and hard tissue augmentation (the GBR/SCTG group) led to a less favorable tissue contour compared to GBR or SCTG alone (height of periimplant mucosa: 3.06 mm; thickness of peri-implant mucosa at the implant shoulder and ±1 mm from the shoulder: 0.72 mm, 0.3 mm, and 1.09 mm, respectively). Conclusion: SCTG tended to have positive effects on the thickness and height of the periimplant mucosa in immediate implant placement. However, simultaneous soft and hard tissue augmentation might not allow a satisfactory tissue contour in cases where the relationship between implant position and neighboring bone housing is unfavorable.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.215-220
• /
• 2013

Recently, the RNA/DNA-binding protein FUS, Fused in sarcoma, was shown to play a role in growth, differentiation, and morphogenesis in vertebrates. Because little is known about Fus, we investigated its expression pattern in murine tooth development. In situ hybridization of mouse mandibles at specific developmental stages was performed with a DIG-labeled RNA probe. During early tooth development, Fus was detected in the dental epithelium and dental mesenchyme at 11 days postcoitum (dpc) and 12 dpc. From 14 dpc, Fus was strongly expressed in the dental papilla and the cervical loop of the dental epithelium. At postnatal day 4 (PN4), Fus expression was observed in the odontoblasts, ameloblasts, the proliferation zone of the pulp, and the cervical loop. At PN14, the expression pattern of Fus was found to be maintained in the odontoblasts and the proliferation zone of the pulp. Furthermore, Fus expression was especially strong in the Hertwig's epithelial root sheath (HERS). Therefore, this study suggests that Fus may play a role in the HERS during root development.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.89-95
• /
• 2009

p63 has been demonstrated to localize in stem cells and precursor cells of various epithelial tissues previously, but the localization of p63 throughout tooth formation, particularly during the enamel and root formation stages, remains to be adequately characterized. Therefore, in this study, we have demonstrated, via immunohistochemical methods, that p63 is ubiquitously expressed in the dental epithelium during tooth development. p63 was detected in the basal and suprabasal layers of the epithelia, including the skin, hair follicles, oral mucosa, and submandibular ducts. However, in the tooth region, all cells of the dental lamina, enamel organ, Hertwig's epithelial root sheath (HERS), and epithelial cell rests of Malassez (ERM) evidenced immunoreactivity for p63. These results indicate that p63 may perform different roles, other than stem cell maintenance, in tooth development.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.113-118
• /
• 2010

Titanium and titanium alloys are the most common materials used for dental and biomedical implants, owing to their biocompatibility and favourable mechanical properties. However infection of the region surrounding a dental implant by pathogenic microorganisms is a significant factor in implant failure. Prevention and control of microbial colonization of implant surfaces is considerable interest to the biomedical community. One important strategy is to render the implant surface antibacterial by impeding the formation of biofilm. A number of approaches have been proposed for this purpose. Therefore, we reviewed the researches of antibacterial coatings on titanium implants in this articles.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.83-85
• /
• 2000

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of $HTR^{TM}$ (hard tissue replacement, Bioplant Inc, U.S.A) polymer on short-term healing as a grafting material for alveolar ridge augmentation. A 48-year-old female presented insufficient bone height and width for the placement of implants. $HTR^{TM}$ polymer was used for ridge augmentation. Bone biopsy was harvested 8 months after the ridge augmentation procedure. $HTR^{TM}$ polymer displayed rapid bone regeneration and mature lamellar and trabecular bone redevelopment. Clinical and histologic observation from the treatment of the patient presented suggest that $HTR^{TM}$ polymer seems to be a appropriate material for alveolar ridge augmentation.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
• /
• v.55 no.5
• /
• pp.352-357
• /
• 2017

Teeth are made up of three hard tissues, enamel, dentin, and cementum. The dental pulp is the only non-mineralized connective tooth tissue that is surrounded by dentin. The dentin-pulp complex is able to respond to injury by producing hard tissue deposition. However, dentin is considered one of the most difficult tissues to regenerate because of its unique anatomic and physiologic nature. Recently, advances in understanding the applicability of bio-active dentin regenerating proteins are emerging with the development of biological-based therapies using bio-active materials. Dentin defects were regenerated by the deposition of tubular physiologic dentin after application of the bio-active protein in a beagle dog model. Therefore, the bio-active protein may be able to serve as a novel dentin regenerating material and improve symptoms of dentin hypersensitivity.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.52 no.4
• /
• pp.312-324
• /
• 2022

Purpose: The role of hard-type crosslinked hyaluronic acid (HA) with particulate bone substitutes in bone regeneration for combined inlay-onlay grafts has not been fully investigated. We aimed to evaluate the effect of hard-type crosslinked HA used with bone substitute in terms of new bone formation and space maintenance. Methods: A 15-mm-diameter round defect was formed in the calvaria of 30 New Zealand White rabbits. All animals were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: the control group (spontaneous healing without material, n=10), the biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) graft group (BCP, n=10), and the BCP graft with HA group (BCP/HA, n=10). The animals were evaluated 4 and 12 weeks after surgery. Half of the animals from each group were sacrificed at 4 and 12 weeks after surgery. Samples were evaluated using micro-computed tomography, histology, and histomorphometry. Results: The BCP group showed higher bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV) values than the control and BCP/HA groups at both 4 and 12 weeks. The BCP and BCP/HA groups showed higher bone surface/tissue volume (BS/TV) values than the control group at both 4 and 12 weeks. The BCP group showed higher BS/TV values than the control and BCP/HA groups at both 4 and 12 weeks. No statistically significant difference in newly formed bone was found among the 3 groups at 4 weeks. The BCP group showed significantly higher new bone formation than the BCP/HA group at 12 weeks. Conclusions: Hard-type crosslinked HA did not show a positive effect on new bone formation and space maintenance. The negative effect of hard-type crosslinked HA may be due to the physical properties of HA that impede osteogenic potential.