Biomaterials for Bone Regeneration in Dentistry: From Material Characterisation to Clinical Translation

The field of implant dentistry and periodontology has been revolutionised by advanced bone regeneration techniques. Following tooth loss or trauma, the alveolar ridge undergoes significant dimensional alterations and resorption, often compromising the anatomical support required for dental implants. To overcome these limitations, clinical procedures such as guided bone regeneration (GBR) and maxillary sinus floor elevation have become standard practice. These techniques heavily rely on specialised biomaterials, including xenogeneic bone grafts, synthetic bone substitutes, and collagen barrier membranes, to maintain space and recruit osteogenic cells. However, achieving predictable osseointegration and stable tissue regeneration remains a major biological challenge. While physicochemical material characterisation is essential, understanding how these biomaterials interact with the biological microenvironment, including mucosal tissues, epithelial interfaces, and osteoprogenitor cells, is critical to ensuring long-term surgical success and structural stability.This Research Topic aims to bridge the gap between initial material characterisation and practical clinical translation by highlighting rigorous preclinical and translational evaluation. Specifically, we seek to elucidate the complex cellular and tissue responses occurring at the biomaterial-bone interface during guided bone regeneration and sinus lift procedures. By focusing on hard and soft tissue healing dynamics, we aim to uncover how graft degradation kinetics, membrane mineralisation, and active biological factors (such as platelet-rich fibrin or cellular homeostatic pathways like autophagy) regulate alveolar bone homeostasis. Furthermore, this collection intends to showcase how advanced diagnostic methodologies, particularly undecalcified histomorphometry, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), and longitudinal radiographic analysis, can quantitatively validate bone-to-implant contact and volumetric stability. Ultimately, our goal is to provide a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary platform that translates fundamental laboratory discoveries into predictable, evidence-based surgical protocols and biomaterial designs for predictable human oral rehabilitation.We welcome original research, systematic reviews, methods, and perspective articles that advance our understanding of dental bone regeneration. Submissions of interest include, but are not limited to:• Evaluation of novel xenogeneic, synthetic, and composite bone substitutes in GBR and sinus floor elevation.• Collagen and barrier membranes, focusing on degradation, mineralisation, and interactions with surrounding soft and hard tissues.• Preclinical in vivo models (including rodent calvarial or rabbit sinus lift models) investigating osseointegration and tissue responses.• Advanced quantitative assessment methods, such as undecalcified thin-ground histology, histomorphometry, and micro-CT.• Retrospective and observational studies assessing implant osseointegration, marginal bone alterations, and innovative surgical protocols.Please note that this journal does not accept Clinical Trials as an article type, and submissions of this type will be out of scope for this Research Topic. Topic editors: Daniele Botticelli, Karol Ali Apaza Alccayhuaman Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84651/biomaterials-for-bone-regeneration-in-dentistry-from-material-characterisation-to-clinical-translation