Advances in Tissue Engineering and Implications for Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstruction.

Background: Reconstructive surgery in the oral and maxillofacial region poses many challenges due to the complexity of the facial skeleton and the presence of composite defects involving soft tissue, bone and nerve defects.

Methods: Current methods of reconstruction include autologous grafting techniques with local or regional rotational flaps or microvascular free flaps, allografts, xenografts and prosthetic devices.

Results: Tissue engineering therapies utilizing stem cells provide promise for enhancing the current reconstructive options.

Conclusions: This article is a review on tissue engineering strategies applicable to specialists who treat oral and maxillofacial defects.

Practical implications: We review advancements in hard tissue regeneration for dental rehabilitation, soft tissue engineering, nerve regeneration and innovative strategies for reconstruction of major defects.