Lazaros Tsalikis

Background: Regenerative medicine in dentistry involves tissue engineering applications suitable for the unique oral environment. In this regard, advances in computer-aided technology have facilitated the creation of 3D scaffolds using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). This review aimed to investigate whether 3D-printed scaffolds can be effectively used to achieve ridge preservation and/or predictable vertical and horizontal bone augmentation, ensuring successful outcomes for dental implant placement. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across six electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Ovid) to identify relevant studies according to specific eligibility criteria, following the PRISMA guidelines. Two independent reviewers screened and selected studies, performed data extraction, and assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane tool for randomized clinical trials and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale for non-randomized clinical trials. Results: The initial search yielded 419 articles, which were subsequently screened to remove duplicates. After evaluating 293 articles based on title and abstract, 10 studies remained for full-text assessment. Ultimately, only three studies met all the pre-established eligibility criteria. Conclusions: The studies included in this systematic review showed that the use of multidimensional customized scaffolds appears to promote dental implant placement. Nevertheless, despite the positive reported effects, further well-designed randomized clinical trials are necessary to determine the special characteristics of the optimal 3D-customized scaffold.

Higher plants possess the ability to synthesize a great number of compounds with many different functions, known as secondary metabolites. Polyphenols, a class of flavonoids, are secondary metabolites that play a crucial role in plant adaptation to both biotic and abiotic environments, including UV radiation, high light intensity, low/high temperatures, and attacks from pathogens, among others. One of the compounds that has received great attention over the last few years is luteolin. The objective of the current paper is to review the extraction and detection methods of luteolin in plants of the Greek flora, as well as their luteolin content. Furthermore, plant species, crop management and environmental factors can affect luteolin content and/or its derivatives. Luteolin exhibits various biological activities, such as cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial ones. As a result, luteolin has been employed as a bioactive molecule in numerous applications within the food industry and the biomedical field. Among the different available options for managing periodontitis, dental care products containing herbal compounds have been in the spotlight owing to the beneficial pharmacological properties of the bioactive ingredients. In this context, luteolin’s anti-inflammatory activity has been harnessed to combat periodontal disease and promote the restoration of damaged bone tissue.