Application of growth factors in implant dentistry

Growth factors are proteins that play an essential part in tissue regeneration and development. They attach surface receptors to mediate their actions on cells. Signaling systems within cells are activated when growth factors bind to their associated receptors. These signaling cascades control the transcription of genes involved in cellular functions like proliferation, differentiation, migration, protein synthesis, and metabolism. This narrative review provides a comprehensive update on the use of growth factors in implant dentistry with a special emphasis on human clinical trials. Since wound healing and osseointegration are pre-requisites of successful implantation and growth factors are important components of homeostasis and wound healing, this review first starts with the basic biology of wound healing. Then, it presents the specific role of growth factors in wound healing and tissue regeneration. Finally, the PubMed database was searched using relevant keywords with some filters related to the research question. Out of the initial 44 records, all the clinical human studies (n = 29) with the actual dental implant placement and its assessment were included. These results of the published and relevant literature over the last 25 years on different applications of growth factors in the field of implant dentistry are critically discussed.