Overview of Bioactive Glass in Dentistry: Literature Review

Abstract

Inventing a material was necessary to overcome the drawbacks of conventional restorative materials, the low mechanical properties of Glass Ionomer Cement, polymerisation shrinkage and secondary caries of composite, and mercury toxicity of amalgam. Moreover, regarding the conservation of the tooth structure and expanding minimally invasive dentistry, it is crucial to develop material that remineralises tooth structure without unnecessary removal. One material that can accomplish those purposes is Bioactive Glass. Its outstanding properties and development in investigating tools have led to substantial interest from biomaterial and tissue engineering scientists. Its regenerative ability is the chief property of Bioactive Glass (remineralisation enhancement), along with its bacteriostatic properties (demineralisation inhibition). The application of Bioactive Glass was initially limited to Bone, and due to excellent outcomes, it has been incorporated in several medical and dental disciplines. This review will provide an up-to-date overview of Bioactive Glass, its applications in dentistry, and recent trends, concluding that Bioactive Glass is a safe, biocompatible and useful element in most applications. The literature review was performed by a manual search of different databases, mainly PUBMED and the Cochrane Library.