Advances in smart stimuli-responsive materials for oral wound healing

Abstract

Oral wounds, particularly those coupled with bone defects like osteoradionecrosis and periodontitis, present a profound clinical challenge. While conventional biomaterial dressings offer basic therapeutic benefits, their static nature hinders dynamic interaction with the complex wound microenvironment, where factors like fluctuating pH and enzymatic activity impair healing. This review focuses on the development of “smart” stimuli-responsive dressings that overcome this limitation. These advanced systems are engineered to sense specific intraoral signals, such as pH, reactive oxygen species, or enzymes, or external triggers like light, enabling on-demand drug release and active wound microenvironment reprogramming. We critically synthesize recent progress in their design, stimuli-responsive mechanisms and therapeutic application, with a dedicated emphasis on bone-related oral pathologies. Furthermore, the review addresses the critical translational challenges and future prospects for bridging material innovation with clinical needs, aiming to facilitate next-generation regenerative therapies for oral and craniofacial defects.