Research in to regenerative medicine has progressed markedly. Especially research into regenerative dentistry, the high order special cells that carry out terminal differentiation have been used in many cases. However, for many oral tissues, still more complicated research is needed. This field has a long history that started with the use of artificial materials for "prosthetic dentistry". Furthermore, the development of reliable new cures is expected in clinical dentistry, although there are still very few examples of research actually being applied to clinical practice. In order to achieve breakthroughs in these areas, three new approaches are proposed.
1. The alternative eye using a "denture camera" of a new idea will allow of a blind person to see the scene.
2. Drug delivery systems using the space in a fixed denture. Various applications using a pocket within the oral cavity will allow the drug to slowly penetrate a blood vessel over 24 hour period.
3. Root canal therapy and filling methods using an optical irradiation lamp for composite resin polymerization. A transparent point for root canal restoration will be used and weak phototoxicity will facilitate apical tissue regeneration. Phototoxicity will also be used also for the medical treatment of root canal infection by optical irradiation only, without requiring extraction.

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TERUDERMIS and TERUPLUG are available in Japan since 1993 and 1998. TERUDERMIS consists of collagen layer and silicone membrane, and applied to mucosal and dermal defects due to palatoplasty or burns, tissue defect after trauma and excisional defects of tumor and ulcer to promote of wound healing. The collagen layer is made of fibrillar and heat-denatured atelocollagen to minimize antigenisity. It has been cross-linked by heat treatment in order to achieve biocompatibility. Fibrillar atelocollagen is scaffolding for surrounding cells and heat-denatured atelocollagen stimulates infiltration of the cells in the product. The silicone membrane prevents infection and controls moisture flux like exudates. TERUPLUG consists of fibrillar and heat-denatured atelocollagen as the collagen layer of TERUDERMIS, and applied to extraction wounds of tooth to promote of wound healing. These products are useful to space maintaining and tissue reconstruction.

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The present study aimed to clarify the effect of simultaneous adding with supplements and BMP-2 on osteogenesis of osteoblasts. The proliferation and differentiation of human osteoblasts were evaluated on titanium plates with perforated holes that were laid beneath atelocollagen sponges impregnated with rhBMP-2, and adding the supplement (dexamethasone and β-glycerophsphate) to the culture medium. Simultaneous adding did not influence cell proliferation but increased slightly the ALP activity and osteocalcin content. However, the supplement was more effective than BMP-2 on cell differentiation. These results suggested that dexamethasone and β-glycerophsphate play an important role in the osteoblasts response to BMP-2.

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