Chandrasekharan Nair K¹*, T Mohan Kumar², Pradeep C Dathan³, Viswanath Gurumuthy⁴ and Hemalatha Konka⁵

¹Professor Emeritus, Department of Prosthodontics, Sri Sankara Dental College, Akathumuri, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
²Director, Centre for Temporomandibular Disorders, Kunnukuzhi, Trivandrum, Kerala, India
³Professor and Head of the Department of Prosthodontics, Sri Sankara Dental College, Akathumuri, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
⁴Associate Professor, Department of Dental Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, KSA
⁵Registrar Prosthodontist, Al Harkan Dental Hospital, Al Qassim, Saudi Arabia

*Corresponding Author: Chandrasekharan Nair K, Professor Emeritus, Department of Prosthodontics, Sri Sankara Dental College, Akathumuri, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.

Received: May 14, 2026; Published: June 24, 2026

The future pathways of dentistry will be greatly influenced by the development, evolution and integration of smart dental materials which have the capability to respond to diverse physiological and environmental stimuli which are present or develop in the oral cavity. Unlike conventional inert restorative materials, the smart ones can intelligently sense stimuli such as pH changes, mechanical stress, temperature changes, magnetic or electrical fields, moisture or bacterial activity and react in a manner which is beneficial to the individual who receives restorative treatment in the context of diagnostics and treatment. Smart materials can release fluoride, calcium, phosphate, or antimicrobial agents in response to cariogenic conditions and enhance remineralization and thereby reducing the possibilities of secondary caries. Shape memory alloys and smart polymers can generate controlled and adaptive responses which can bring in tremendous advancements in prosthodontic and orthodontic treatment. In regenerative dentistry, bioactive and biomimetic smart materials may support tissue engineering, pulp regeneration, and faster healing of oral tissues. Incorporation of nanotechnology, artificial intelligence and digital dentistry with smart biomaterials may further enable self-healing restorations, real-time monitoring of oral health and highly personalized treatment approaches. Research advancements will prove that dentistry is no more a reparative discipline but a predictive, preventive, regenerative clinical science which can improve the quality of life in the future days to come.

Keyworda: Smart Materials; Dental Restorative Materials; Drug Delivery Vehicles; Nano Composites; Hydrogels; Shape Memory Alloys; Nickel Titanium Alloys; Nanoparticles of Amorphous Calcium Phosphate (NACP)

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Citation

Citation: Chandrasekharan Nair K., et al. “Smart Materials and Smart Practice of Dentistry - A Review". Acta Scientific Dental Sciences 10.7 (2026): 24-33.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Chandrasekharan Nair K., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.