Recent Advances in Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Bone Biology and Regeneration

The oral cavity consists of the dental structure (teeth and periodontium) and other oral structures (lips, tongue, salivary glands, hard palate, and soft palate). The primary functions of the oral structures are eating and speaking. In addition, they contribute to taste sensation, the initial chemical digestion of starches, and breathing, which are essential to understanding oral and craniofacial biology.

The craniofacial bone (skull) can be divided into two regions: the neurocranium, which protects the brain, and the viscerocranium, which forms the face. The skull also supports tendinous muscle attachments and allows neurovascular passage between intracranial and extracranial anatomy.

The major goal of dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) research is to advance fundamental knowledge of the DOC system and translate basic science findings into prevention, early detection, and treatment strategies for DOC diseases.

There have been significant advances in dental, oral, and craniofacial research over the past decades. However, major challenges remain in functional tissue engineering, 3D printing for dental and oral tissue restorations, regeneration of large cranial bone defects, stem cell-based therapies, genomics and proteomics approaches for personalized medicine, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for basic craniofacial research, diagnosis and treatment plans. The main goal of this Frontiers Research Topic is to publish fundamental and translational innovations in these areas. We welcome contributions that can bridge a gap of knowledge or improve our understanding of specific areas of dental, oral, and craniofacial bone biology, disorder, and regeneration. Potential areas of interest may include, but are not limited to:

- Biological development and mechanisms of teeth, periodontal, oral, and craniofacial tissues, including enamel, dentin, dental pulp, gingiva, alveolar bone, cementum, periodontal ligament, lips, tongue, salivary glands, hard palate, soft palate, and craniofacial bones;
- Pathogenesis of disorders affecting the teeth, periodontal tissues, oral tissues, and craniofacial bones;
- Genomics, proteomics, and stem-cell based studies to develop targeted approaches for diseases affecting dental, oral, and craniofacial regions;
- Tissue engineering techniques for regeneration of teeth, periodontal tissues, oral tissues, and craniofacial bones, including critical-sized cranial bone defects;
- Utilization of 3D printing technology for the restoration of dental, oral, and craniofacial structures and functions;
- AI technology applications, including analyzing genetic data, processing morphological imaging data, simulating developmental processes, and its role in diagnosis and treatment of dental, oral, and craniofacial disorders.

We welcome the submission of different article types to this collection, especially original research papers, reviews, mini-reviews, and opinion articles.

Even though abstract submission for pre-review is not mandatory, we encourage all interested researchers to submit a manuscript summary before submitting their full manuscript. The abstract-like submission will serve as a summary of the article that you plan to submit.

Keywords: Craniofacial Research, Tissue Regeneration, Personalized Medicine, AI technology, Dental Research, Stem cells, Genomics

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.