Anti-caries strategies that based on the regulation of oral micro-ecology have recently drawn broad attention. Intelligent antibacterial materials have shown great potential for ecological anti-caries strategies, which can response to microenvironment of dental caries or external stimuli and inhibit cariogenic biofilms precisely. This technology could improve local anti-caries effect and help maintain oral micro-eubiosis. Here, we reviewed recent progress in intelligent anti-bacterial materials for dental caries. The future research direction was also prospected. We hope that by discussing about this new technology of prevention and treatment for dental caries, this review could provide ideas for the research on novel anti-caries materials.

Objective To determine the effect of enamel matrix derivative(EMD)on remineralization of artificial root dentin caries.Methods Bovine root dentin blocks were placed in a demineralization solution to create artificial root dentin carious lesions.The lesions were then randomly divided into EMD group(30 g/L EMD,the experimental group),sodium fluoride(NaF)aqueous solution group(1 g/L NaF,the positive control group)and distilled and deionised water(DDW)group(the negative control group),and all the lesions were pH-cycled at 6 cycles per day for 8 d.Morphology of the lesions were observed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and polarized light microscopy(PLM).Transverse microradiography(TMR)was used to examine mineral loss,lesion depth and mineral content.Results After pH-cycling,the surface morphology by SEM and the vertical morphology by PLM suggested that EMD and NaF treatment,but not DDW,caused mineral accumulation of artificial root dentin caries.Meanwhile,TMR revealed significantly lower mineral loss,shallower lesion depth and more mineral content in the EMD group than the DDW group(P＜0.05)after pH-cycling.Conclusion EMD can significantly promote remineralization of root dentin caries in vitro,and is a promising agent for non-invasive root caries therapy.