Description

ABSTRACT

Collagen is the most abundant protein that holds the whole body together in humans. It is found in the skin, bones, muscles and tendons and provides a scaffold to give strength and structure. These are proteins of unique structure and function with wide distribution throughout the animal kingdom ranging from insects to man. They are the major fibrous protein of the connective tissue which constitute about 1/3rd of the total protein in the body. Collagen is a highly versatile material and extensively used in the field of medicine for the management of severe burns, non-healing ulcers, traumatic, surgical wounds and various cosmetic procedures. In dentistry collagen is found to have a good scope of improvement, as materials which are biocompatible and easily absorbed by the tissues are more acceptable than synthetic one’s. It has a proven rate of success in the field of dentistry as GTR membrane, Root conditioning agent, Haemostatic agent and wound dressing agent. This paper aims to present an overview of collagen, its structure, biocompatibility and also focuses on the applications in the field of dentistry.

Keywords: Collagen, Collagen fibril, Tropocollagen