A Decoy-Shedding Nanocoating Modulating the Pathogenic Niche for Dental Caries Prevention

Dental caries caused by acid production from cariogenic bacteria like Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) remains a challenge due to the limited stability and responsiveness of current materials. Here, decoy-shedding nanocoatings rpCA and rpEA series were developed for caries prevention. The nanocoatings stably anchor to enamel via phosphate-enamel Ca²⁺ coordination. Cariogenic bacteria adhere through salivary mucin, and the acid-triggered shedding of the bacteria-laden mucin layer blocks mucin-mediated adhesion. The ″decoy-shedding mechanism″ effectively blocks adhesion. The inhibition against S. mutans rates of rpE₁A₁ and rpC₁A₂ nanocoatings was up to 95.3% and 92.0%, respectively, and remained stable in simulated saliva fluid (SSF) for 7 days. Rodent model experiments demonstrate the rpE₁A₁ coating reduces bacterial adhesion by 91.8%, significantly lowers caries scores, and exhibits no adverse effects on oral microbiota balance or histocompatibility. Our findings, therefore, integrate stable anchoring, environmental responsiveness, and multimechanism synergistic effects and pave new avenues for precision caries prevention.