The Effectiveness of Bioactive Glass in the Management of Dental Caries

Abstract

Dental caries remains one of the most prevalent chronic oral diseases worldwide, affecting individuals of all age groups and resulting in significant health and economic burdens. Conventional restorative procedures successfully repair damaged tooth structures but do not always promote biological regeneration or prevent disease progression. Bioactive glass has emerged as a promising biomaterial due to its remarkable ability to release calcium, phosphate, and silicate ions that stimulate remineralization, inhibit bacterial activity, and promote the formation of hydroxycarbonate apatite on demineralized enamel and dentin. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of bioactive glass in the prevention and management of dental caries through an experimental investigation involving patients with early enamel lesions. A total of 120 participants were randomly assigned to a bioactive glass treatment group and a conventional fluoride treatment group. Clinical examinations, DIAGNOdent measurements, enamel surface microhardness testing, scanning electron microscopy, and microbial analysis were conducted over a six-month follow-up period. Statistical analysis demonstrated significantly greater remineralization, reduced bacterial counts, and improved enamel integrity in the bioactive glass group compared with the fluoride group (p < 0.05). The findings indicate that bioactive glass offers substantial advantages as a minimally invasive therapeutic material capable of promoting natural tooth repair while reducing caries progression. The study supports the integration of bioactive glass into preventive and restorative dentistry and highlights its potential role in future minimally invasive caries management strategies.