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REVIEW ARTICLE

Revealing emerging science and technology research for

dentistry applications of 3D bioprinting

Marisela Rodriguez-Salvador *, Laura Ruiz-Cantu 2
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1 Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico
2 Centre for Additive Manufacturing, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

Abstract: Science and technology (S&T) on three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is growing at an increasingly accelerated
pace; one major challenge represents how to develop new solutions for frequent oral diseases such as periodontal problems
and loss of alveolar bone. 3D bioprinting is expected to revolutionize the health industry in the upcoming years. In dentistry,
this technology can become a significant contributor. This study applies a Competitive Technology Intelligence methodology
to uncover the main S&T drivers in this domain. Looking at a 6-year period from 2012 to 2018 an analysis of scientific and
technology production was made. Three principal S&T drivers were identified: Scaffolds development, analysis of natural and
synthetic materials, and the study of scaffold characteristics. Innovative hybrid and multiphasic scaffolds are being developed
to regenerate periodontal tissue and alveolar bone by combining them with stem cells from the pulp or periodontal ligament.
To improve scaffolds performance, biodegradable synthetic polymers are often used in combination with bioceramics. The
characteristics of scaffolds such as fiber orientation, porosity, and geometry, were also investigated. This research contributes to
people interested in bringing innovative solutions to the health industry, particularly by applying state-of-the-art technologies
such as 3D bioprinting, in this case for dental tissues and dental bone diseases.
Keywords: Competitive technology intelligence; three-dimensional bioprinting; dentistry; dental; Science and technology trends.

*Correspondence to: Marisela Rodriguez-Salvador, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Mexico;
marisrod@tec.mx
Received: October 31, 2018; Accepted: December 4, 2018; Published Online: December 26, 2018

Citation: Rodriguez-Salvador M, Ruiz-Cantu L, 2018. Revealing emerging science and technology research for dentistry
applications of 3D bioprinting. Int J Bioprint, 5(1): 170. http://dx/doi.org/10.18063/ijb.v5i1.170

1. Background that could have a major impact in many fields including
complex organs study, ophthalmology, drug delivery, and
Over the past few years, three-dimensional (3D) printing so forth. In the realm of dentistry, one of the most frequent
has attracted the attention of the science and technology illness concerns is periodontal diseases and the loss of
(S&T) community. Since Chuck Hull’s invention of alveolar bone. In this context, the current research applies
stereolithography, which was patented in 1984, new a Competitive Technology Intelligence methodology to
technologies and applications in a variety of industries uncover principal S&T trends.
have been emerging; and since the early 2000s, their
applications have sky-rocketed. Although conventional 1.1 Competitive Technology Intelligence
use of 3D printing technology is becoming increasingly Competitive intelligence is based on the systematic and
accessible to people, applications in the health industry ethical process of gathering, analyzing and transforming
are still in a nascent stage, particularly those that involve information into actionable knowledge in the context
bioprocesses to prevent, maintain, or heal body tissue. of the competitive environment of an organization ;
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3D bioprinting technology opens a large innovative it contributes to making decisions in organizations of
window, giving the potential to bring in new solutions all sizes and across different disciplines. Specifically,
Revealing emerging science and technology research for dentistry applications of three-dimensional bioprinting © 2019 Rodriguez-Salvador and Ruiz-Cantu. This
is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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