Functional Hydrogels for Intraoral Wound Care: Research Progress and Design Strategies

Oral soft tissue defects resulting from trauma, infections, tumour resection or congenital disorders present significant clinical challenges, impairing functions like mastication, speech and aesthetics. Current therapeutic approaches, including free gingival grafts (FGGs) and connective tissue grafts (CTGs), are associated with certain clinical limitations, such as donor site morbidity and structural fragility. Hydrogels are attractive biomaterials for oral soft tissue repair owing to their biocompatibility, tunable mechanics and extracellular matrix-mimicking properties. This review comprehensively explores hydrogel applications in oral wound healing, focusing on the histological structure of oral mucosa and unique challenges of the oral environment; design strategies using natural and synthetic polymers; advanced manufacturing strategies, such as 3D bioprinting, electrospinning and microfluidic organ-on-a-chip technology; and therapeutic applications in mucosa repair, gingival regeneration and periodontal therapy.