Bioactive dental restorative materials: a review.

To present an updated knowledge on the remineralizing dental restorative materials and their performance in vivo and/or in vitro.A search of English peer-reviewed dental literature over the last 30 years from PubMed and MEDLINE databases was conducted, and the key words included: remineralization, pulp capping, restoration, composite, cement, primer, bonding, adhesive, liner and sealant. Titles and abstracts of the articles listed from search results were reviewed and evaluated for appropriateness.A variety of dental restorative materials are able to promote tooth remineralization and/or inhibit tooth demineralization. These remineralizing materials include fluoride- and/or calcium-containing pulp capping materials, bonding agents, resin composites, resin cements, glass-ionomer cements, and sealants.