Regeneration of Epithelium and Nerve Fibers Incident to Implantation

- Neuronal Similarity between Peri-Implant and Junctional Epithelium -

Abstract

This review highlights the regeneration of gingival oral epithelium and neural elements incident to dental implantation. The regeneration process of nerve fibers can be divided into the three following stages; 1) an epithelial healing stage; 2) a completion stage of epithelial regeneration; and 3) a stage of osseointegration establishment. Prior to gradient disappearance of inflammatory reaction around the epithelium, the nerve fibers begin to regenerate in the healing peri-implant epithelium. After completion of epithelial healing, the peri-implant epithelium exhibits the same neural density and terminal morphology as the intact junctional epithelium. These regenerated nerve fibers show a beaded-in-appearance, suggesting that these fibers contain neuropeptides including calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P which have diverse functions. These findings indicate that the peri-implant epithelium share some structural and functional features with normal junctional epithelium, although these two epithelia have different origins.