Nanomaterials in Oral Regeneration: Current Advances and Future Directions

Oral regenerative medicine is crucial for restoring damaged enamel, dentin, pulp, and periodontium, yet conventional treatments fail to replicate native tissue hierarchy and bioactivity, causing poor integration and long-term failure. Nanomaterials, with unique properties (high surface-area-to-volume ratio, tunable chemistry, and stimuli responsiveness), address these issues. This review critically assesses the paradigm of nano-enabled strategies to achieve precise spatiotemporal control over the regenerative process. We focus on nanomaterials functional mechanisms within the oral milieu, including biomimetic mineralization, targeted bioactive cargo delivery to specific dental tissues, and intelligent modulation of cellular behavior and the local microenvironment. Inorganic nanoparticles (e.g., nano-hydroxyapatite, mesoporous silica) excel in biomimetic hardening and ion delivery; Organic nanocarriers (e.g., chitosan, PLGA, liposomes) offer superior biocompatibility and controlled release profiles; and biological nanoplatforms (e.g., exosomes, protein cages) provide unparalleled biorecognition and targeting. The review also evaluates translational hurdles (batch heterogeneity, rapid oral clearance, biosafety) and forecasts convergence with AI, 4D bioprinting, and gene editing to advance dentistry from repair to personalized restoration of oral tissues.