Bioinspired Materials Science and Engineering

18Research Progress in Biomimetic Materials for Human Dental Caries Restoration

Yazi Wang¹, Fengwei Liu¹, Eric Habib², Ruili Wang¹, Xiaoze Jiang¹, X.X. Zhu^2,**, and Meifang Zhu^1,*

¹ State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, China

² Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada

18.1 Introduction

Tooth decay, also known as dental caries, is the final outcome of many factors such as acidogenic bacteria, saliva, and fermentable carbohydrates. It is the leading cause of oral pain and tooth loss [1]. Among the common restorative materials for dental caries, resin composites possess advantageous esthetics, acceptable biocompatibility, and convenient clinical manipulation. Hence, they have been extensively studied and used [2]. However, composite restorations also have their limitations. Recent reports have shown that secondary caries and bulk fracture were the main causes for the failure of composite restorations [3, 4]. As dentistry and materials science advance, researchers have gained a deeper understanding of the composition and structure of natural teeth, and they have attempted to solve these problems mentioned above using a biomimetic approach. Hydroxyapatite (Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂, HA) with a Ca/P ratio of 1.67 is the main component of dental hard tissues [5]. Scientists have tried to use HA as a reinforcing filler to develop biomimetic dental ...