Current status of bioactive particles in dental materials: From structural design to functional mechanisms and...

This narrative review provides a critical and in-depth analysis of the role of bioactive particles in dental biomaterials, discussing their structural compositions, physicochemical mechanisms of action, functional impact, and translational limitations that still in part hinder their clinical consolidation for long-term applications.

A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, combining controlled descriptors (MeSH) and free-text terms such as bioactive glass, biosilicate, ion-releasing particles, bioactive ceramics, doped particles, smart materials, and dental materials. Initially, 1300 articles were identified. After title and abstract screening and removal of duplicates, 603 studies were evaluated in full, resulting in 223 publications selected based on scientific relevance, methodological quality, and dental applicability.

This review revisits the fundamental concepts of bioactivity, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity, exploring mechanisms such as ion release, pH modulation, apatite formation, and cellular signaling. It analyzes major platforms including silicate-, phosphate-, and borate-based bioglasses, glass-ceramics, amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP), hydroxyapatite, mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs), and hybrid composites, as well as emerging systems based on dendrimers, functional peptides, enzymes, micelles, and phytoderivatives. Their clinical and translational applications are discussed, along with optical, rheological, and mechanical limitations resulting from particle functionalization and dispersion.

Bioactivity redefines the role of dental materials, shifting their function from structural restoration to therapeutic and regenerative performance. However, their clinical consolidation requires robust scientific validation, regulatory standardization, and long-term functional stability. More than a marketing concept, bioactivity must be recognized as a measurable and clinically relevant therapeutic property.