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Medicina
Special Issues
Regenerative Dentistry: A New Paradigm in Oral Health Care
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Regenerative Dentistry: A New Paradigm in Oral Health Care

A special issue of Medicina (ISSN 1648-9144). This special issue belongs to the section "Dentistry and Oral Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2026) | Viewed by 2273

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Raluca Cosgarea

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Periodontology, Operative and Preventive Dentistry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
Interests: molecular methods; molecular mechanisms; oral diseases; bioengineering; tissue engineering; regenerative dentistry; oral microbiome; tissue regeneration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Felicia Gabriela Beresescu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Faculty of Dental Medicine, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, 540139 Targu Mures, Romania
Interests: dentistry; periodontology; oral health; dental materials; caries

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Regenerative dentistry is emerging as one of the most dynamic and transformative domains in contemporary oral health care. This development signifies a substantial departure from conventional restorative methodologies, which depend on inert materials and mechanical replacement, towards biologically driven approaches that aspire to restore structure, function, and vitality to damaged or diseased oral tissues. This Special Issue aspires to showcase the full breadth of innovation and clinical translation within the field, reflecting a novel paradigm in dentistry centered on regeneration, integration, and personalization.

This issue calls for pioneering research and critical reviews that explore the development, evaluation, and implementation of regenerative strategies across the spectrum of dental and craniofacial tissues, including dental pulp, dentin, periodontal ligaments, alveolar bone, oral mucosa, and temporomandibular structures.

Recent progress in stem cell biology, bioactive scaffolding, tissue engineering, and bioprinting, in conjunction with insights from immunology, molecular signaling, and clinical trial design, has facilitated the accelerated clinical adoption of regenerative therapies. Moreover, the convergence of three-dimensional (3D) technologies, omics platforms, and artificial intelligence (AI)-guided treatment planning facilitates the development of highly customized dental regeneration strategies.

We welcome original research articles, systematic reviews, and short communications that address both the experimental and clinical aspects of regenerative dental science. Submissions that explore interdisciplinary strategies or bridge the gap between bench and bedside are especially encouraged.

Dr. Raluca Cosgarea
Guest Editor

Dr. Felicia Gabriela Beresescu
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Medicina is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • regenerative dentistry
  • tissue engineering
  • stem cells
  • dental pulp regeneration
  • biomaterials
  • oral tissue repair
  • periodontal regeneration
  • craniofacial regeneration

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

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23 pages, 614 KB  
Review
Bioactive Hydrogels and Scaffolds for Oral Mucosal Regeneration After Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Therapy: A Comprehensive Review
by Alina Ormenisan, Andreea Bors, Liana Beresescu, Despina Luciana Bereczki-Temistocle and Gabriela Felicia Beresescu
Medicina 2026, 62(3), 558; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62030558 - 17 Mar 2026
Viewed by 860
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) therapy frequently produces acute and chronic injury to the oral mucosa, including surgical lining defects and radiochemotherapy-associated oral mucositis (OM). Beyond pain and ulceration, these injuries compromise nutrition, speech, oral hygiene, and feasibility of dental/implant rehabilitation, and may [...] Read more.
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) therapy frequently produces acute and chronic injury to the oral mucosa, including surgical lining defects and radiochemotherapy-associated oral mucositis (OM). Beyond pain and ulceration, these injuries compromise nutrition, speech, oral hygiene, and feasibility of dental/implant rehabilitation, and may disrupt oncologic treatment delivery. The oral cavity imposes stringent constraints on regenerative biomaterials—continuous salivary flow, high microbial load, and repeated mechanical shear—such that clinical success depends on reliable mucoadhesion/wet adhesion, barrier function, mechanical compliance, and safe, spatially confined bioactivity. This PRISMA-informed evidence-mapped structured narrative review provides an evidence map and structured qualitative synthesis of hydrogel and scaffold platforms relevant to post-OSCC care, spanning clinically used mucoadhesive barrier formulations through emerging wet-adhesive multifunctional patches, acellular matrices, and tissue-engineered oral mucosa (TEOM) constructs. Clinically, the strongest evidence base remains barrier-forming gels and liquids that reduce OM pain and improve oral function during active therapy, establishing performance benchmarks for intraoral retention and patient-reported benefit. Preclinical studies are rapidly expanding toward multifunctional designs that integrate antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, pro-epithelialization, and pro-angiogenic cues. However, a pervasive limitation is the inconsistent use of OSCC-relevant models (e.g., irradiated/xerostomic tissue beds), standardized functional endpoints (e.g., oral intake, durability under mastication, and neurosensory outcomes), and explicit oncologic safety evaluation, which severely compromises translational validity. For reconstructive applications, dermal matrices and early TEOM reports suggest feasibility for selected defects, but controlled comparative trials and scalable manufacturing pathways remain limited. Translational priorities include oncologic-by-design bioactivity (time-limited, locally confined cues), clinically anchored outcome reporting, and quality-by-design manufacturing aligned with device/combination/advanced-therapy regulatory requirements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regenerative Dentistry: A New Paradigm in Oral Health Care)
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Other

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12 pages, 2156 KB  
Systematic Review
The Role of Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 (IGF-2) in Periodontal Regeneration: A Systematic Review
by Karina Natalie Kuntjoro, Yuniarti Soeroso, Fatimah Maria Tadjoedin, Nik Madihah Nik Azis and Nadhia Anindhita Harsas
Medicina 2026, 62(1), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62010114 - 5 Jan 2026
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Abstract
Background and Objectives: Periodontal disease, characterized by progressive destruction of tooth-supporting tissues, often results in substantial alveolar bone loss, necessitating regenerative interventions such as guided bone regeneration (GBR). Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) has emerged as a promising biomolecule for periodontal regeneration [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Periodontal disease, characterized by progressive destruction of tooth-supporting tissues, often results in substantial alveolar bone loss, necessitating regenerative interventions such as guided bone regeneration (GBR). Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) has emerged as a promising biomolecule for periodontal regeneration because of its osteogenic and immunomodulatory properties. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across five electronic databases (Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Wiley, and EBSCO). Studies examining the use of IGF-2 in periodontal or alveolar bone regeneration, including randomized controlled trials, animal studies, and in vitro experiments, were included. Results: Three studies met the inclusion criteria. In vitro, IGF-2 was associated with enhanced osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of mesenchymal stem cells, along with upregulation of key osteogenic markers. In animal models, IGF-2 treatment was associated with increased osteogenesis, greater bone volume, and a shift in macrophage polarization toward a less inflammatory phenotype. However, heterogeneity in study designs, protocols, and outcome measures limited direct comparisons. Conclusions: In vitro, IGF-2 was associated with enhanced osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of mesenchymal stem cells, accompanied by upregulation of key osteogenic markers. In animal models, IGF-2 treatment was associated with increased osteogenesis, greater bone volume, and a shift in macrophage polarization toward a less inflammatory phenotype. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regenerative Dentistry: A New Paradigm in Oral Health Care)
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