Mônica Gomes

By Mônica Fernandes Gomes, José Benedito Amorim, Lilian Chrystiane Giannasi and Miguel Angel Castillo Salgado

The search for ideal implants or alternative scaffolds is a challenge for biomedical science researchers, especially in diabetic patients. Many alternative bioactive materials have been used in the regenerative medicine, especially in patient with complex metabolic disorder as diabetes mellitus. Among them, we discussed the following alternative material scaffolds, including amniotic membrane (AM), homogenous demineralized dentin matrix (HDDM), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and alloplastic materials as porous polyethylene and polyurethane. These biomaterials were applied in the craniomaxillofacial complex and liver injury, resulting in tissue regeneration and microstructural reconstruction due to their effective inductive and conductive properties. Additionally, diabetes disease and its general biophysical mechanism and systemic complications were described in order to improve the comprehension of the physiopathology of this comorbidity and its effects in the tissues. The AM, HDDM, and PRP in implantation sites initiated an inductive cascade as chemotaxis of progenitor cells, mitogenesis, angiogenesis, and differentiation into wide variety of cells. The cell recruitment, division rate, and differentiation of cell lines are under the direct control of several growth factors and stem cells which are present in these biomaterials. Further, some alloplastic materials have triggered satisfactory tissue responses when used in treatments of craniofacial deformities or in anatomical reconstructions.

Part of the book: Biomaterials in Regenerative Medicine

By Mônica Fernandes Gomes, Andrea Carvalho De Marco, Lilian Chrystiane Giannasi and Miguel Angel Castillo Salgado

A wide variation of people with an impairment or disability requires a “special care dentistry” once their general manifestations directly act in the oral cavity. This target public is inserted into the following categories: neuromotor disability, sensory disability, mental disorder, infecto-contagious diseases, chronic systemic diseases, and systemic conditions. Among the several oral illnesses found in these groups, periodontal diseases have been the most frequent, becoming a major challenge for the dental practitioners. Thus, we described the microbiological, histopathological, and clinical features of periodontal diseases in each “special health care needs” group. Advances in “Omic” technologies have suggested the application of molecular biology methods to assess the genomics (genes), proteomics (proteins), transcriptomics (mRNA), and metabolomics (metabolites) aspects of periodontal diseases. These researches aim to promote a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis and in the identification of new biomarkers of periodontal diseases that help in diagnosis of periodontal diseases and in tissue responses after treatments of gingivitis and periodontitis. As an alternative therapy, some bioactive materials and photobiomodulation may be indicated once they strongly stimulate the periodontal tissue regeneration, attenuate the inflammatory processes, and/or promote the reconstruction of the microstructure of the periodontium.

Part of the book: Periodontology and Dental Implantology