Advances in Ecofriendly and High-Strength Dental Composites: Structural and Functional Perspectives

Restorative dentistry has seen a drastic revolution since the innovation of dental composites. They have made dentistry minimally invasive and aesthetically acceptable. Simultaneous developments in manufacturing, resin matrices, fillers, and interphases have improved mechanical performance, biostability, and properties including self-healing, remineralizing, and antibacterial properties. At the same time, a move toward sustainability, longer service life, less waste, lower embodied carbon, and less harmful chemicals is being accelerated by climate pledges and regulatory pressure. To conduct this review, three databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar) were searched using various combination of keywords such as “sustainable composites” and “eco-friendly composites.” Current research on high-performance resin-matrix composites, such as computer-aided design and manufacturing polymer networks and short- and continuous-fiber reinforced systems, as well as functional composites that remineralize, release ions, combat biofilm, or self-heal, is summarized in this review. Sustainability levers spanning design, clinical use, and end-of-life are also covered. With a useful selection matrix for structural and functional applications, comparative data tables provide an overview of mechanical and functional benchmarks. Important research needs are found for integrating circularity, nanofillers like graphene and nanocellulose, and bio-based monomers into everyday care. The aim of this review was to gauge recent advancements made in dental composites especially when structural and functional aspects are considered.