Shape-Memory Polymers in Dentistry: Systematic Review and Patent Landscape Report

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Science
• Dental Materials

Background:

• Shape-memory polymers (SMPs) offer unique, programmable physical properties.
• Their potential applications in dentistry are under investigation.
• A comprehensive review of existing literature and patents is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the literature on SMPs in dentistry.
• To conduct a patent landscape report on SMPs for dental applications.
• To assess the current evidence for clinical use.

Main Methods:

• Extensive database searches across clinical, biomedical, and materials science fields.
• Searches included specialized patent databases.
• Reference lists of eligible studies were hand-searched.

Main Results:

• 6 full-text articles and 45 patents were selected after initial screening.
• Methodological quality of selected pre-clinical studies was rated as low.
• No evidence-based conclusions could be drawn for immediate clinical use.

Conclusions:

• SMPs exhibit promising programmable properties for dentistry.
• The current research base is limited and of low quality.
• Further research is essential to validate SMPs for clinical dental applications.