Electrospun nanofibers for regenerative dentistry

Periodontitis is one of the most aggressive diseases to impair the integrity of tooth-supporting structures. Guided regeneration has been increasingly used with the aid of a physical membrane that acts as a barrier to prevent epithelial and connective tissue downgrowth into the defect, enabling periodontal regeneration. In recent years, electrospinning has been used to develop bioactive membranes with significant clinical potential. Meanwhile, traumatic injuries or bacterial infection of the dental pulp leads to inflammation and, if left untreated, necrosis. No therapy exists today that promotes root canal disinfection and can predictably guide pulp and dentin regeneration. Moreover, antibiotic pastes currently used for root canal disinfection prior to a regenerative strategy have been shown to affect stem cells' survival. This chapter presents an update on the use of electrospinning to develop bioactive membranes for periodontal regeneration and antibiotic-containing nanofibers as a drug delivery strategy in endodontics.