# Evolving Strategies and Materials for Scaffold Development in Regenerative Dentistry
## 1 Introduction  
### Historical Background and Significance of Scaffold Development  
Regenerative dentistry, with its high potential to address various dental defects, is a special part of regenerative medicine. The history of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering dates back to ancient times. Then, people held hopes and beliefs that living tissues or even whole organisms can be replaced or fabricated. More than 30 years ago, [PERSON] and [PERSON] introduced a new interdisciplinary field of tissue engineering [1]. Theidea from Greek mythology that \"independent life can be created without sexual reproduction\" may thus be considered the first recorded mention of creating living organisms from living or non-living specimens [2]. Nevertheless, it is claimed that the person to coin the term \"regenerative medicine\" was [PERSON] in 1992. In a hospital journal, he predicted a new field that would become a crucial part of algorithms for the management of chronic diseases and/or organ failures. Even before that, in 1985, [PERSON] introduced the idea of tissue engineering as an extended idea of biocompatibility [3; 4]. Dentistry has been a part of the whole regenerative concept in medicine since the very beginning of its formation. In its essence, the scope of regenerative dentistry, albeit quite varied and diverse, is much smaller compared to the vast scope of regenerative medicine. That is partly the reason why such advances have been achieved. Another reason why novel therapies, including regenerative techniques, are applied in the craniofacial (and dental) area are their accessibility and smaller and less load-bearing nature of tissue defects, which all lead to the greater clinical application of the hereinbelow mentioned techniques [3; 5].  
Nowadays, regenerative dentistry is considered as a new specialization within dentistry. The approaches in this field have made a significant step forward over recent years, and we can expect that its further development will accelerate in the future and will be utilized in other medical fields. To ensure biocompatibility, adaptation, and proper regeneration of tissues, certain criteria need to be met, including functional complexity, neuromuscular coordination, and certain aesthetic characteristics [6; 7; 8]. For now, there have not been detailed instructions formulated that would vonich for successful living tissue replacement with no adverse effects. This narrative review provides the reader with up-to-date information and novel trends in the field of regenerative dentistry and tissue replacement therapy [9; 10; 11; 12], including the most current utilization, applications, improvements, and methods over the last five years (2019-August 2023). To replace living tissue in the human body using biocompatible 3D-printed grafts (usually in the form of scaffolds), we need to understand numerous biological processes and interactions between native tissues, cells, and scaffolds, promote their migration towards the injured area, ensure adequate vascularization and biodegradation, etc. [8; 13; 14]. Nowadays, the market offers various specific materials with multiple advantageous properties, novel techniques and methods, including bioprinting and 3D printing options, and different types of stem cells. Furthermore, several growth factors, medications, signaling molecules, and other elements to stimulate regenerative processes have become widely available. There remains a need to further study materials and their combination, selection of stem cells, and additives, as well as all the processes throughout the construction and integration phase of scaffolds.