Biomaterials - Bionanomaterials for Dental Applications - page 29

Chapter 3
Biomaterials
Mieczyslaw Jurczyk a, * and Karolina Jurczyk b
a Poznan University of Technology , Institute of Materials Science and Engineering ,
M . Sklodowska-Curie Sq . 5 , 60-695 Poznan , Poland
b Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology Department ,
University of Medical Sciences , Bukowska 70 Street , 60-812 Poznan , Poland
* [e-mail]
3 . 1 Introduction
Biomaterials are deined as “ materials intended to interface with
biological systems to evaluate , treat , augment , or replace any tissue ,
organ or function of the body ” [139]. The range of applications is vast
and includes things such as joint and limb replacements, artiicial
arteries, and skin, contact lenses, and dentures. This increasing
demand arises from an ageing population with higher quality of
life expectations. The use of artiicial biomaterials for the treatment
of diseased tissues traces back to more than 2000 years ago, when
heavy metals such as gold were extensively used in dentistry [111].
Other early examples of biomaterials include wooden teeth, but
generally, the irst generation of biomaterials developed before 1960
had low success rates due to a poor osseointegration.
An entirely new ield of research was initiated in the 1952
[121]. Professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark's serendipitous discovery