Bioactive dental restorative materials: a review.

Purpose: To present an updated knowledge on the remineralizing dental restorative materials and their performance in vivo and/or in vitro.

Methods: A search of English peer-reviewed dental literature over the last 30 years from PubMed and MEDLINE databases was conducted, and the key words included: remineralization, pulp capping, restoration, composite, cement, primer, bonding, adhesive, liner and sealant. Titles and abstracts of the articles listed from search results were reviewed and evaluated for appropriateness.

Results: A variety of dental restorative materials are able to promote tooth remineralization and/or inhibit tooth demineralization. These remineralizing materials include fluoride- and/or calcium-containing pulp capping materials, bonding agents, resin composites, resin cements, glass-ionomer cements, and sealants.