Collagen-Composite Scaffolds for Alveolar Bone and Periodontal Tissue Regeneration: A Review of Material Development and Clinical Applications

Background/Objectives:In dental tissue engineering, collagen based scaffold plays a central role because of its biocompatibility and similarity with tissue matrix. This re-view discusses new developments on collagen scaffold technologies, their possible tissue regeneration, and their clinical application barriers. Methods: New developments on collagen scaffolds are noted in this review with a focus on type I collagen due to its structural strength and RGD motifs to promote cell adhesion and differentiation. Composite materials, freeze-drying, electrospinning and 3D bioprint-ing to improve the functionality of scaffold are key developments. Results: This review shows progress in collagen-based scaffolds to restore dental tissues such as dentin, gum or bone in humans. Electrospinning and 3D bioprinting are new manu-facturing techniques that enhance the functionality of scaffold devices, and the em-bodiment of bioactive molecules increases the regenerative capacity, but stability and long-term efficacy are still a problem. Conclusions: Scaffolds made of collagen are a potential solution to dental tissue engineering. Alt-hough there has been a great advancement in the design of scaffolds and the incorpo-ration of bioactives, there are still some challenges that have to be overcome like the durability of the scaffolds, rapid degradation, and the practical use of the scaffolds in clinical practice. The future of personalized therapeutic solutions in dentistry will be driven by trends in smart, flexible scaffolds, stem cell integration and nano-device in-corporation.