Piezoelectric dental resin composites for mastication-induced antibacterial restorations: A critical review

Mastication-induced piezoelectric dental resin composites can harness physiological mechanical loading to generate localized electric charges and variations in electric potential, thereby offering the potential for mastication-induced antibacterial activity and enhanced remineralization. This review discusses representative piezoelectric materials, including barium titanate (BaTiO₃) and zinc oxide (ZnO), with particular emphasis on their mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion behavior and the mechanisms underlying their antibacterial and antibiofilm effects and their promotion of dentin remineralization. This critical review focuses on the current state of research on mastication-induced piezoelectric resin composites, while also critically examining piezoelectric material systems relevant to the oral environment and piezoelectric biomaterials investigated more broadly in biomedical applications. Furthermore, future studies should validate the antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy, remineralization-promoting capability, and biosafety of piezoelectric materials under conditions that faithfully recapitulate the oral environment, thereby providing mechanistic insights and materials-design guidance for the incorporation of piezoelectric fillers into dental resin composites.