Abstract
Mechanical forces are central determinants of development, homeostasis, and pathology in oral and maxillofacial tissues, yet most regenerative strategies continue to prioritize biochemical signaling over mechanical control. In anatomically and functionally heterogeneous tissues such as dentin–pulp, periodontium, temporomandibular joint, oral mucosa, and salivary glands, mechanics is not a secondary cue but a primary regulator of cell fate, immune responses, and tissue integration. This review reframes oral and maxillofacial regeneration through a mechanobiological engineering lens, summarizing how region-specific mechanical loading is sensed and transduced through focal adhesions, mechanosensitive ion channels, cytoskeletal tension, and nuclear mechanotransduction to coordinate tissue-specific repair programs. We organize recent advances into intrinsic mechanobiological design, which leverages biomaterial stiffness, hierarchical topography, anisotropy, and piezoelectricity, and extrinsic mechanotherapy, which uses physical stimuli such as vibration, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and magnetic fields. We further discuss translational challenges including realistic testbeds, dose standardization, durability, and scalability. Finally, emerging directions in adaptive biomaterials, multiscale modeling, and AI-assisted design are highlighted, positioning mechanics as an active design and dosing parameter for clinically relevant regenerative therapies.
In vitro platforms for modeling biomechanical cues in oral and maxillofacial tissues
Biomechanical stimulation platforms using external physical cues for oral and maxillofacial mechanotherapy