Xu Ke, Huang Regina, Li Xuan, Jin Lijian, Ko Chung-Nga, Li Min, Wong Hai Ming, Leung Ken Cham-Fai
Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China.
Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China.
Nanoscale. 2025 Jan 23;17(4):1874-1888. doi: 10.1039/d4nr04515g.
Dental caries, as the predominant global oral disease, remains a critical public health issue worldwide, particularly in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. However, common caries prevention approaches (, oral health education, mechanical plaque removal, and delivery of fluoride agents) are still insufficient for optimal caries management, and therefore, alternative regimens that can supplement existing strategies are highly warranted. Nanomaterials exhibit considerable potential in combating cariogenic pathogens and biofilms owing to their promising antimicrobial capacity, improved penetration into biofilms, targeted precision delivery, and versatile physicochemical properties. As unifunctional materials are limited in caries management, this review underscores the latest advancement in multifunctional anti-caries nanomaterials/nanomedicines. It highlights the cutting-edge materials developed or engineered to (i) incorporate diagnostic capabilities to prevent caries at an early stage, thus enhancing treatment efficiency, (ii) integrate mechanical "brushing" with anti-caries approaches to mechanochemically eradicate biofilms, (iii) exert antimicrobial/antibiofilm effects while preserving dental hard tissue. The current work also outlines future directions for optimizing nanosystems in the management of dental caries while emphasizing the need for innovative solutions to improve preventive and therapeutic efficacies.
龋齿作为全球主要的口腔疾病，仍然是一个严重的全球性公共卫生问题，在社会经济条件不利的社区尤为突出。然而，常见的龋齿预防方法（如口腔健康教育、机械性去除牙菌斑以及使用氟化物制剂）在实现最佳龋齿管理方面仍显不足，因此，非常有必要采用能够补充现有策略的替代方案。纳米材料因其具有可观的抗菌能力、更好的生物膜穿透性、靶向精准递送以及多样的物理化学性质，在对抗致龋病原体和生物膜方面展现出巨大潜力。由于单一功能材料在龋齿管理方面存在局限性，本综述着重介绍了多功能抗龋纳米材料/纳米药物的最新进展。它突出了开发或设计的前沿材料，这些材料能够（i）具备诊断能力以在早期预防龋齿，从而提高治疗效率；（ii）将机械“刷牙”与抗龋方法相结合，以机械化学方式根除生物膜；（iii）在保留牙齿硬组织的同时发挥抗菌/抗生物膜作用。当前的工作还概述了在龋齿管理中优化纳米系统的未来方向，同时强调需要创新解决方案来提高预防和治疗效果。
