BIOGLASS AND HERBAL THERAPEUTICS: A REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO ENHANCING ORAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT

In recent decades, oral health management has witnessed a paradigm shift by integrating bioactive materials into dental therapeutics. Among these, bioactive glasses (BGs) that were originally developed by Larry Hench in 1969 have garnered significant attention because of their distinctive capacity to bond with bones and soft tissues of the body, while stimulating biological responses that promote healing and regeneration. Bioglass was the first synthetic material that formed a chemical bond with bone. The principal mechanism underlying the bioactivity of BGs lies in their surface reactions in aqueous environments, where they release therapeutic ions like Ca²⁺, Na⁺, PO₄³⁻, and Si⁴⁺, that lead to the formation of a hydroxycarbonate apatite (HCA) layer that mimics natural bone mineral. Furthermore, functionalization of bioactive glasses (BGs) with therapeutic metal ions like Ag⁺, Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Sr²⁺ and herbal bioactives has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance their antimicrobial, osteogenic, angiogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties, thereby broadening their applications in dental and ocular implantology, orthopedics, and wound healing. Despite the widespread recognition of its benefits, the translation of BGs into mainstream clinical practice has been limited by challenges related to mechanical strength, processing focused on the development of mesoporous Bioglasses, nanostructured BGs, and BG-polymer composites, aiming to optimize their handling characteristics, bioactivity, and controlled drug delivery capabilities. This review intends to highlight the in in-depth analysis of Bioglass in the management of oral health, covering its mechanisms of action, therapeutic potential, clinical outcomes, and emerging innovations.