Evaluation of Adhesion between Material and Epithelium using a Three-dimensional Human Epidermal Model

76 Introduction Dental implants pass through the oral mucosa and bone, and protrude into the external environment of the oral cavity. In the case of natural teeth, junctional epithelium is adhered to the enamel via hemidesmosomes, and the periodontal inner tissue is protected from environmental insults. The dental implants that are currently used are problematic in that they do not adhere to the oral mucosa at the point of abutment, unlike natural teeth [1, 2]. Thus, there is an inherent risk that contaminants may pass through the interface between the implant and the mucosa and cause inflammation leading to bone resorption [3]. Therefore, it is important to develop a material that promotes contact with the tissue. For this purpose, animal experiments are usually necessary. However, animal experiments entail problems, such as ethical issues and species differences. It would be much easier if adhesion experiments could be done in vitro instead of in vivo. 3D tissue models cultured in vitro could be one of the candidates for this type of procedure. Tissue adhesion to the dental implant requires oral mucosal epithelium. However, an oral mucosal model has not been well established as yet. In this study, 3D tissue models derived from epidermal keratinocyte progenitor cells were used. Epithelium of the skin and oral mucosa were derived from the same ectoderm, and the nature of cutaneous epithelium was similar to that of oral epithelium. Adhesion Evaluation of Adhesion between Material and Epithelium using a Three-dimensional Human Epidermal Model