Application of chitosan in dentistry-a review

Present tissue engineering strategies are mainly focused on repairing and regenerating the architecture of tissues, such as bone by transplantation of scaffolds functionalized with cells or growth factors. In the recent decades, much attention has been given to chitosan, a biocompatible, biodegradable and non-toxic biomaterial that has been used in several biomedical fields. Chitosan-based scaffolds have been regarded as suited candidates for the construction of bone grafts and barrier membranes with application in dentistry. They trigger a minimal foreign body response, promote cell growth and proliferation. In addition, chitosan-based scaffolds have mucoadhesive and antibacterial properties. In this work, a literature survey is performed regarding chitosan applications in dentistry and its importance in this clinical field.