How TiO2 Nanomaterials are Emerging as Key Therapeutics in Stomatology

Junnan Qi1,2 *, Huimin Liu3 *, Huen Li,1,2 Haofeng Liu,1,2 Yawen Wang,1,2 Chunru Kong,1,2 Li Fu,4 Bei Chang1,2 1Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Tooth Development and Bone Remodeling, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, People’s Republic of China; 2Hospital of Stomatology, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, People’s Republic of China; 3Beijing Shunyi Hospital, Stomatology Department, Beijing, 101300, People’s Republic of China; 4Hospital of Stomatology, Department of Oral Implantology, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Li Fu, Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, 1500 Qinghua Road, Changchun, 130021, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected] Bei Chang, Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, 1500 Qinghua Road, Changchun, 130021, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: Conventional treatments for oral diseases—such as cancer and tissue defects—are often limited by high invasiveness, suboptimal efficacy, and drug resistance. In recent years, titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanomaterials have demonstrated remarkable therapeutic potential in the field of oral medicine. This review systematically evaluates the current applications and future prospects of TiO2 and its reduced form (TiO2-x) nanomaterials across six major domains: cancer diagnosis and therapy, antibacterial treatment, tissue regeneration, drug delivery, restorative dental materials, and teeth whitening, based on an extensive literature search of databases including PubMed and Web of Science. The findings reveal that TiO2 nanomaterials exhibit exceptional multifunctionality through various mechanisms: (1) surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates achieve 100% sensitivity and 95.83% specificity in diagnosing oral squamous cell carcinoma; (2) reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated antibacterial efficiency exceeds 99% against key oral pathogens; (3) modified implant surfaces show a 1.5-fold increase in bone-implant contact; and (4) the incorporation of only 0.06% TiO2 nanoparticles enhances resin hardness by over 200%. Notably, TiO2-x exhibits visible/near-infrared responsiveness, photothermal conversion capacity, and peroxidase-like activity, enabling 12% H2O2-based whitening outcomes comparable to commercial 40% H2O2 products. Collectively, TiO2-based nanomaterials represent a paradigm shift toward precision oral medicine, owing to their excellent biocompatibility, multifunctional therapeutic mechanisms, and broad application potential. Nonetheless, successful clinical translation requires addressing critical challenges, including synthesis standardization, comprehensive biosafety evaluation, optimization of interfacial bonding strength, and the development of regulatory frameworks tailored to dental nanomedicine.Keywords: TiO2 nanomaterials, stomatology, photodynamic therapy, dental biomaterials, nanozyme activity