AI- Powered Multiphasic 3D Printed Scaffold for Periodontal Defect Regeneration

Background: The global prevalence of severe periodontitis increased by 91.54% between 1990 and 2021, driven primarily by population growth and population ageing, and now affects more than one billion people worldwide . Left untreated, periodontitis progressively destroys the attachment apparatus and is a leading cause of tooth loss. Conventional regenerative therapies rely largely on monophasic scaffolds, which impose a single, uniform biological and structural environment and therefore struggle to reproduce the layered, multi-tissue architecture of the periodontium. Study Problem: The periodontium is a composite of three histologically and mechanically distinct tissues - alveolar bone, the periodontal ligament (PDL), and cementum - each of which requires a different stiffness, porosity, and biochemical microenvironment for optimal regeneration. Monophasic scaffolds cannot satisfy this requirement simultaneously, which frequently results in fibrous encapsulation, incomplete integration, or stress-shielding. Objectives: This thesis examines the design, fabrication rationale, and clinical evaluation of an Artificial-Intelligence (AI)-boosted three-dimensional (3D) multiphasic scaffold intended to achieve simultaneous, tailored regeneration of alveolar bone, PDL, and cementum through a graded lattice architecture matched to native tissue stiffness. Methodology: The target regeneration volume was defined using high-resolution Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) and intraoral optical scanning, processed through AI-assisted defect-segmentation software. A tri-zonal multiphasic scaffold - an outer bone-directed zone, a middle PDL-directed zone, and an inner cementum-directed zone - was generated and produced by 3D 2 Smart Scaffolds, Stronger Smiles bioprinting using biocompatible polymer and bio-ceramic bio-inks, then surgically placed in patients with severe infrabony defects. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were assessed at 2, 6, and 12 months post-operatively.