Smart peptide-based materials and their clinical application for caries management.

BACKGROUND

Caries remains the most prevalent biofilm-mediated disease, requiring a shift toward minimally invasive, biologically driven management. Conventional therapies lack specificity and may disrupt microbial balance. Smart peptide-based materials provide a precision-guided strategy enabling the simultaneous targeting of cariogenic pathogens and promotion of biomimetic remineralization.

TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: The authors examined the literature regarding the design principles, mechanisms of action, and translational potential of smart peptide-based anticaries systems, including antimicrobial, remineralizing, and environmentally responsive constructs, and clinical use in caries management.

RESULTS

Smart peptides are engineered to sense disease-associated cues such as acidic pH, specific cariogenic bacteria, or tooth-binding ability. Targeted antimicrobial peptides selectively inhibit cariogenic pathogens while preserving commensal microbiota. Remineralizing peptides guide biomimetic mineralization in early lesions. Multifunctional constructs that integrate these properties address both microbial dysbiosis and tissue demineralization. Although most systems remain preclinical, emerging in vivo and early clinical evidence support their feasibility and translational potential.

CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Smart peptide-based materials provide a precision-guided and minimally invasive approach for caries management. By means of integrating pathogen-targeted antimicrobial activity with biomimetic tissue repair and environmental responsiveness, these materials align closely with the principles of precision dentistry. Continued development and clinical validation may enable personalized, microbiome-sparing, and lesion-specific interventions in routine oral health care.