Next-Generation Dental Materials Engineered for Mineralized Tissue Reconstruction: Advances, Challenges and Opportunities

Advances in regenerative and reconstructive biomaterials continue to have a significant impact on clinical dentistry. Prevailing clinical challenges and failures of regenerative and reconstructive dental materials have been attributed to a variety of factors, including limited awareness of the specific clinical situation. Mainly trial-and-error based approaches have been applied to materials that were originally developed for applications other than the dental field. Other factors include a lack of appreciation for the complexity of the material-biological interface. Such interfaces are sensitive to a variety of pathogenic and inflammatory reactions as well as a diverse range of mechanical and chemical stresses. The intrinsic complexity of the material/tissue interface has frequently gone unrecognized. Early strategies focused primarily on providing materials with sufficient mechanical properties to withstand in vivo function, but more-comprehensive approaches that actively engage tissue repair processes while also inhibiting damage provoked by pathogens, mechanical and chemical stresses are sorely needed.

The development of dental materials that will provide long-term mineralized tissue reconstruction and favorable clinical outcomes requires a paradigm shift away from trial-and-error approaches that primarily focus on repurposing old materials. The development of next-generation dental materials requires integrated approaches ― approaches that actively address the complex interfacial micro-environment to promote healing, integration and mechanical integrity.

This Research Topic on Next-Generation Dental Materials Engineered for Mineralized Tissue Reconstruction will provide advances in the field by highlighting challenges and opportunities for researchers. The Editors of this collection will consider any article type accepted by the Journal, especially Original Research and Review articles, which contribute towards the end goal of developing new materials which enable the reconstruction of mineralized dental tissue.

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Conflict of Interest Statement: Topic Editor Conrado Aparicio holds the following patents. All other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regards to the Research Topic subject.
· US20210378918A1 “Compositions and coatings for soft tissue attachment”,
· US20210147496A1. “Peptides, hydrogel compositions and methods of use thereof”
· US20170367933A1 “Hydrophobic dental surfaces”
· US10709733B2 “Non surgical techniques for restoring tooth enamel”
· WO2011036326A3 “Novel recombinant proteinic polymers and method for bioactivating surfaces with said polymers”
· ES2288399B1 “New combined treatment for the improvement of implant/bone fixation: obtaining rough titanium surfaces for titanium implants.”
· ES2251312B1 “New oxidation treatment for obtaining NiTi-alloys with a Ni-free and more biocompatible surface”

Keywords: peptides, interfacial microbial environment, polymer chemistry, next-generation dental materials, dental materials, remineralization, mineralized tissue

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.