Materials Informatics Opens the Door for Dental Materials Development.

This article focuses on the emerging role of materials informatics (MI)—a data-driven approach combining computational methods, artificial intelligence, and large datasets—in accelerating the development and optimization of dental restorative materials. It outlines the MI workflow, including data preparation, model analysis, inverse design, and experimental validation, and reviews applications of MI to resin composites, zirconia ceramics, adhesives, and cements, highlighting successes such as predicting flexural strength and bond strength. The article also discusses current limitations in dental MI, notably data scarcity, heterogeneity of testing protocols, and challenges in translating in vitro findings to clinical outcomes, while emphasizing future prospects involving integration with process informatics and autonomous manufacturing. Overall, MI is presented as a promising alternative to traditional empirical methods that could enhance efficiency and innovation in dental materials research.