Nanoparticle‐integrated biomaterial scaffolds for dental tissue engineering: Advances, clinical translation, and industrial manufacturing perspectives

This review critically examines the rising significance of nanoparticle (NP)-loaded biomaterial scaffolds in dental tissue engineering, focusing on their translational potential, limitations, and clinical relevance. These dual-functional scaffolds imitate the extracellular matrix and promote cell adhesion and proliferation, allowing for tissue regeneration with improved antibacterial, osteoinductive, bioactive, and drug delivery capabilities via NP integration. This report covers natural and synthetic polymers, such as collagen, chitosan, alginate, PCL, polylactic acid, and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), as well as NPs, such as AgNPs, ZnO, and nano-hydroxyapatite, for bone, periodontal, and pulp-dentin regeneration. A comprehensive and comparative study is offered that links scaffold type, NP function, biocompatibility, and regenerative outcomes, revealing important translational obstacles. The manuscript also covers clinical translation, with an emphasis on commercialization and regulatory issues, such as nanotoxicity, biosafety, scalability, reproducibility, cost-effectiveness, and approval frameworks (Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, Food and Drug Administration, and CE). Despite considerable preclinical potential, the analysis identifies inadequate clinical evidence, standardization concerns, and regulatory constraints as significant challenges to clinical implementation. Overall, this review gives a more detailed and critical translational viewpoint on NP-based scaffolds in dental regeneration.