Microfabrication and Nanofabrication Techniques

The aim of dental tissue engineering (TE) is to repair or regenerate dental tissues with the help of biomaterials, scaffolds, growth factors, and dental cells. Tooth regeneration involves the exchange of complicated signals between mesenchymal and epithelial cells in a well-defined structural and compositional milieu to regulate the different stages of tooth development. In this light, micro- and nanofabrication techniques are powerful tools that spatially pattern cells in a controlled and predefined structure, regulating the cellular microenvironment, cell fate, and tissue formation to mimic natural tooth formation. Here, we delineate the basic principles and applications of micro- and nanoscale technologies to study dental cells and to regenerate the tooth. In particular, these technologies have been used to construct both cell-free and cell-laden scaffolds, to direct stem cell fate, and to elucidate stem cell biology. We conclude this chapter by outlining the major challenges to and future directions of engineering dental tissues with the aid of micro- and nanofabrication techniques.