Smart dental materials for antimicrobial applications

TLDR

Smart biomaterials can sense and respond to various stimuli, and their use in dentistry for antimicrobial purposes has grown rapidly in recent decades. This review surveys the design, evaluation, benefits, and limitations of bioactive, stimuli‑responsive, and autonomous dental materials for antimicrobial use. The review categorizes smart dental materials by stimulus type—pH, enzymes, light, magnetic field, vibrations—detailing their antimicrobial mechanisms, applications, and representative examples. These materials enhance infection control and device longevity, yet significant limitations and obstacles remain before clinical implementation.

Abstract

Smart biomaterials can sense and react to physiological or external environmental stimuli (e.g., mechanical, chemical, electrical, or magnetic signals). The last decades have seen exponential growth in the use and development of smart dental biomaterials for antimicrobial applications in dentistry. These biomaterial systems offer improved efficacy and controllable bio-functionalities to prevent infections and extend the longevity of dental devices. This review article presents the current state-of-the-art of design, evaluation, advantages, and limitations of bioactive and stimuli-responsive and autonomous dental materials for antimicrobial applications. First, the importance and classification of smart biomaterials are discussed. Second, the categories of bioresponsive antibacterial dental materials are systematically itemized based on different stimuli, including pH, enzymes, light, magnetic field, and vibrations. For each category, their antimicrobial mechanism, applications, and examples are discussed. Finally, we examined the limitations and obstacles required to develop clinically relevant applications of these appealing technologies.