Physicochemical Frameworks for Polymer Nanocomposite Dental Materials in Prosthodontics: A Cross-Disciplinary Review

Abstract

Background: Optimization of polymer nanocomposite denture base materials has traditionally relied on empirical concentration screening, which involves testing various filler loadings and identifying the best-performing formulation after experimentation. Although this method has produced a substantial body data, it remains fundamentally limited in its ability to generate mechanistic insight, predict optimal formulations for untested conditions, or offer transferable design principles for novel material systems.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the applicability of seven established phytochemical and mathematical theoretical frameworks in predicting, designing, and optimizing the properties and performance of polymer nanocomposite denture base materials.

Methods: A structured narrative review was conducted, integrating foundational physics and chemistry literature with prosthodontic dental materials research. For each therotical framework, the original physical and chemical basis is presented, the mathematical formalism is described, prior applications in polymer composite and dental materials research are reviewed and a concrete illustration of applicability to PMMS-ZnO-nPLA-type ternary nanocomposite system is provided.

Conclusion: Despite the presence of these theoretical frameworks within the field of physics, chemistry, and engineering over many decades, they have not yet been integrated into the design of prosthodontic nanocomposites. Their combination provides a general theoretical framework that transforms the design of dental nanocomposites into a more scientific endeavor rather than an empirical one. This literature review highlights specific validation papers in the field of physics and chemistry that confirm the usefulness of these theoretical frameworks. It then shows how the gap in literature within prosthodontics is addressed by applying these theoretical frameworks.