Oral biofilm-associated infectious diseases, such as dental caries, periodontitis, pose a significant global public health burden. These diseases not only affect oral health but are also linked to systemic conditions. Oral biofilm is the primary cause of these infectious diseases. It forms complex, drug-resistant microbial communities that evade host immunity and conventional therapies. Key issues include:
1. Inadequate penetration of antibiotics into biofilm matrices.
2. Microbial diversity-driven treatment resistance.
3. Lack of targeted therapies to spare beneficial oral microbiota.

Nanomaterials, with their small size allowing for better penetration into the biofilm matrix, enabling more effective interaction with the embedded microorganisms, have emerged as a promising strategy to control biofilm. Although, there are still many challenges to be addressed. Therefore, there is an urgent need for comprehensive research on nanomaterial-based strategies to improve the treatment and prevention of oral biofilm-associated infectious diseases.

This Research Topic aims to address the critical challenge of ineffective treatment of oral biofilm-associated infectious diseases (e.g. dental caries, periodontitis) due to biofilm resistance, microbial heterogeneity, and limited therapeutic specificity. By integrating interdisciplinary research - from material science and microbiology to clinical dentistry - we seek to identify effective, biocompatible nanomaterial-based solutions that can overcome biofilm resilience and restore oral health. To achieve the goal, this research topic highlights nanomaterial-based innovations (e.g., antimicrobial nanoparticles, pH-responsive carriers, biofilm-disrupting nanodevices) that enhance drug delivery, enable precise microbial targeting, and modulate host-biofilm interactions. Explore strategies like nanozyme-mediated ROS generation, photothermal/photodynamic therapy, and immunomodulatory nanocarriers to overcome biofilm resilience. Foster interdisciplinary discussions on translating lab-scale nanotechnologies into clinical applications for improved oral infection management.

This topic focuses on nanomaterials-based innovations to combat oral biofilm-associated infections (e.g., dental caries, periodontitis, oral candidiasis). Specific themes include but not limited to:

• Design of antibacterial nanomaterials with enhanced antimicrobial activity(e.g., metal/metal oxide NPs, carbon-based materials) for biofilm penetration and microbial elimination.
• Development of nanomaterial-based delivery systems (e.g., liposomes, hydrogels, pH-responsive nanocarriers) for localized drug/gene therapy.
• Antibiofilm mechanisms of nanomaterials (e.g., ROS generation, quorum sensing disruption).
• Nanodevices that disrupt biofilm architecture (e.g., nanoparticles to break down the biofilm's extracellular polymeric substance)
• Clinical translation challenges (biocompatibility, toxicity, scalability).
• Multidisciplinary approaches (nanomaterials + phototherapy/immunotherapy).

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Recent Advances in Nanomaterial-Based Strategies for Oral Biofilm-Associated Infectious Diseases