Antimicrobial Peptide in Oral Health: A Therapeutic Approach

The predominant reason for the ongoing failure of dental composite restorations is the adhesion and proliferation of bacteria at the interface of the composite material, adhesive, and tooth. Early colonizers, such as Streptococcus mutans, are crucial in the development of dental caries because they foster the condition that compromises the integrity of the adhesive. Later, demineralization of the neighbouring tooth occurs because of other bacterial species, biofilm development, and S. mutans’s lactic acid. Antimicrobial defense, a vital component of host–microbial equilibrium, promotes the maintenance of oral health substantially. They are, nevertheless, insufficient for eradicating harmful microorganisms, and their variability reduces the antimicrobial effect. As a result, researchers are working to create synthetic antimicrobial peptides with the promise of biocompatibility and stability. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have drawn much attention as a means of preventing bacterial biofilms because of their wide range of antibacterial action and little threat of antibiotic resistance. Cathelicidin, defensins, and cationic histatins are included in AMPs to combat oral infections with little risk of resistance. These peptides have a broad range of biological actions that make them useful for the management and treatment of diseases, including promoting wound healing, regulating the immune response, and having broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. AMPs can be employed in the treatment of oral disorders such as dental caries, periodontitis, oral cancer, and oral mucosal diseases. It appears that efforts to use AMPs as an antibiotic substitute need to change direction given the global rise in antibiotic resistance.