Rational Designs of Biomaterials for Combating Oral Biofilm Infections

Oral biofilms, which are also known as dental plaque, are the culprit of a wide range of oral diseases and systemic diseases, thus contributing to serious health risks. The manner of how to achieve good control of oral biofilms has been an increasing public concern. Novel antimicrobial biomaterials with highly controllable fabrication and functionalization have been proven to be promising candidates. However, previous reviews have generally emphasized the physicochemical properties, action mode, and application effectiveness of those biomaterials, whereas insufficient attention has been given to the design rationales tailored to different infection types and application scenarios. To offer guidance for better diversification and functionalization of anti-oral-biofilm biomaterials, this review details the up-to-date design rationales in three aspects: the core strategies in combating oral biofilm, as well as the biomaterials with advanced antibiofilm capacity and multiple functions based on the improvement or combination of the abovementioned antimicrobial strategies. Thereafter, insights on the existing challenges and future improvement of biomaterial-assisted oral biofilm treatments are proposed, hoping to provide a theoretical basis and reference for the subsequent design and application of antibiofilm biomaterials. Intractable oral biofilms are the chief culprits of both dental infections and systemic inflammation, posing a great threat to human health. In this review, core strategies of recently developed biomaterials in eradicating oral biofilm are present. Furthermore, design rationales of biomaterials with advanced antibiofilm capacity, as well as versatile antibiofilm biomaterials with other functions are comprehensively summarized.image

Automated summary

Oral biofilms, also known as dental plaque, are the main cause of oral and systemic diseases, posing serious health risks. Novel antimicrobial biomaterials with controllable fabrication and functionalization have shown promise. However, previous reviews have focused on the properties and effectiveness of these biomaterials, lacking attention to the design rationales tailored to different infection types and application scenarios. This review provides guidance on the design and application of antibiofilm biomaterials, discussing core strategies, advanced antibiofilm biomaterials, and future improvements.