Engineering next-generation smart delivery materials for dentistry

Over the last two decades, the healthcare field has witnessed exponential growth in the applications of stimuli-responsive biomaterials for diverse therapeutic purposes. This has led to the development of numerous smart dental biomaterials tailored for the precise and on-demand delivery of therapeutic agents. By leveraging the specific exogenous and endogenous stimuli, these smart materials fine-tune their physicochemical properties to improve the clinical efficacy of the therapeutic agents and mitigate their side effects. This review systemically examines the design and objectives of the smart biomaterials platforms specifically for dental and associated soft tissue. Additionally, we comprehensively summarize various smart biomaterials-based delivery platforms, categorized by the nature of the stimuli, including pH, enzyme, temperature, light, ultrasound, electricity, and pressure. Furthermore, this review discusses several newly developed smart platforms utilized in different dental conditions, with a particular focus on those undergoing clinical trials. This review aims to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art smart drug delivery systems in dentistry and offer insights into developing next-generation platforms to address various clinical needs, such as infection eradication, inflammation modulation, tissue regeneration, and immunotherapy.