Recent progress in biosourced polylactic acid-based biocomposites for dentistry: A review

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Dental Medicine

Background:

• Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable polymer from renewable resources with excellent biocompatibility and ease of functionalization.
• Unmodified PLA has limitations including poor mechanical ductility, slow degradation, and hydrophilicity, restricting its dental applications.
• PLA's properties make it a strong candidate for various dental applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the structure, advantages, and modification methods of PLA.
• To elaborate on the properties and advancements of PLA composites in diverse dental fields.
• To provide an outlook on future trends of PLA-based composites in oral medicine.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on PLA structure, properties, and modification techniques (chemical and physical).
• Analysis of recent advancements in PLA composites for dental implantation, restoration, orthodontics, maxillofacial surgery, and periodontal disease treatment.
• Discussion of future development trends for PLA-based composites in oral medicine.

Main Results:

• PLA offers significant advantages for dental applications, including biocompatibility and biodegradability.
• Various chemical and physical modification strategies can enhance PLA's mechanical properties, degradation rate, and hydrophilicity.
• PLA composites demonstrate promising applications in dental implantation, restoration, orthodontics, maxillofacial surgery, and periodontal disease treatment.

Conclusions:

• Modified PLA composites show great potential to overcome the limitations of unmodified PLA in dental applications.
• Advancements in PLA composites are expanding treatment options and improving outcomes in oral medicine.
• Further development of PLA-based materials is expected to enhance their role and efficacy in various dental procedures.