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Review
. 2024 Jun 25;10(13):e33574.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33574. eCollection 2024 Jul 15.

The application of hydrogels for enamel remineralization

Jiayi Liao  1   2   3 , Junhong Qiu  1   2   3 , Yanfang Lin  1 , Zhihua Li  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

The application of hydrogels for enamel remineralization

Jiayi Liao et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

Enamel is composed of numerous uniformly wide, well-oriented hydroxyapatite crystals. It possesses an acellular structure that cannot be repaired after undergoing damage. Therefore, remineralization after enamel defects has become a focal point of research. Hydrogels, which are materials with three-dimensional structures derived from cross-linking polymers, have garnered significant attention in recent studies. Their exceptional properties make them valuable in the application of enamel remineralization. In this review, we summarize the structure and formation of enamel, present the design considerations of hydrogels for enamel remineralization, explore diverse hydrogels types in this context, and finally, shed light on the potential future applications in this field.

Keywords: Hydrogels; Hydroxyapatite; Interpenetrating network hydrogels; Remineralization.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Shows the classification of hydrogels. Hydrogels can be divided into natural hydrogels, synthetic hydrogels and hybrid hydrogels.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
AMEL in enamel formation. ①AMELs are secreted to extracellular matrix; ②AMEL self-assembles into spheroids and chains; ③AMELs control the direction of hydroxyapatite mineralization; ④Proteases MMP-20 secreted during the secretory stage and KLK-4 secreted during maturation stage by ameloblasts degrade AMELs; ⑤Enamel hydroxyapatite crystals mature.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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