Application of Biomaterials and Artificial Intelligence Technologies in the Prevention and Treatment of Dental Caries in Children: A Systematic Review

Background. Dental caries in children and adolescents remains one of the most prevalent chronic conditions worldwide, affecting quality of life, general health, and social functioning. In recent years, pediatric dentistry has seen growing interest in two major fields: the use of bioactive and minimally invasive dental biomaterials, and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) for caries detection, risk prediction, and prevention.

Objective. To systematically review clinical evidence on the use of dental biomaterials and artificial intelligence technologies in the prevention and management of dental caries in children and adolescents, and to evaluate the strength of available evidence and potential for clinical integration.

Methods. This systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Literature searches were performed in PubMed and Google Scholar for studies published between 2020 and 2025. Eligibility criteria were defined using the PICO framework. Randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, diagnostic accuracy studies, and relevant systematic reviews were included. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2.0, ROBINS-I, QUADAS-2, and AMSTAR 2 tools.

Results. Twenty-two original clinical studies and three systematic reviews were included in the qualitative synthesis. AI-based models demonstrated moderate diagnostic and predictive performance (AUC approximately 0.75–0.80), comparable to traditional statistical approaches. Biomaterial-based interventions, including atraumatic restorative treatment, Hall technique, silver-containing agents, and calcium-silicate cements, showed high clinical effectiveness, particularly within minimally invasive treatment strategies.

Conclusions. Both dental biomaterials and artificial intelligence technologies show promising potential for improving personalized prevention and management of dental caries in children. Further well-designed prospective studies with longer follow-up and standardized outcomes are required to support their widespread clinical implementation.