International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN: 2319-7064 ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2019): 7.583 Volume 9 Issue 9, September 2020 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Biomimicry: ―The Nature Inspired Way‖ in Restorative Dentistry Zefia Abraham 1 , Krishnan Hari 2 , Joy Mathew 3 , Joseph Joy 4 , Basil Joy 5 , Feby Kuriakose 6 1 Post graduate, Department of Conservative Dentistry& Endodontics, Mar Baselios Dental College, Kothamangalam-686691, Ernakulam zsa6891[at]hotmail.com 2 Professor, Department of Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics, Mar Baselios Dental College, Kothamangalam-686691, Ernakulam 3 Head of the Department, Department of Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics, Mar Baselios Dental College, Kothamangalam- 686691, Ernakulam 4 Reader, Department of Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics, Mar Baselios Dental College, Kothamangalam-686691, Ernakulam 5, 6 Lecturer, Department of Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics, Mar Baselios Dental College, Kothamangalam-686691, Ernakulam Abstract: Gathering inspiration from nature for the design of newer materials and products is a field gaining popularity nowadays .The ability to incorporate the “doing it nature’s way” into the design of synthetic materials has advanced with time. There has been an increased interest among the scientific community to design systems that borrow the nature’s mode. In a society familiar with dominating or improving nature, this respectful imitation introduces an era of science based not on what we can extract from nature, but on what we can learn from her . Broadly categorized as biomaterials, these are widely used in the field of Restorative dentistry because of its role in repair, regeneration and reconstruction. This review article highlights the concept of bio activity, its mechanism and compare and contrast various bio active materials. Keywords: Biomaterial, Biomimetic, Bioactive, Glass ionomer cement, Resin Dental composite 1. Introduction The evolution of dentistry is closelyassociated with the advancements in dental materials.Nanotechnology aided in processing variety of nano structured materials with the complex arrangement of organic or inorganic molecular level constituents, simulating living tooth structure, allowing for innovative dental applications. As an expansion of nanotechnology applied to dental materials: the terms bioactive, bioinduction, and biomimetics are often defined separately [1], [2]. Biomaterial can be simply defined as a synthetic material used to replace part of a living system or to function in intimate contact with living tissue.Bioactive material is defined as a material that has the effect on or eliciting a response from living tissue, organism or cell such as inducing the formation of hydroxyapatite. Hench introduced some criteria for the evaluation of bioactivity of a material. Accordingly, a new classification was proposed in 1994, in which bioactive materials are divided into 2 groups [3]:  Class A This group consists of materials, which induce both intracellular and extracellular responses.They are not only able to bond to bone, but also bind to the soft tissues. eg:45S5 Bioglass.  Class B These materials are osteoconductive and induce only extracellular responses. eg. Synthetic hydroxyapatite implants. The bioinductive property is the capability of a material for initiating a response in a biological system. Biomimetics is the study of formation, structure or function of biologically produced substances and materials (such as silk or conch shells) and biological mechanisms and processes (such as protein synthesis or mineralisation) for the purpose of synthesizing similar products by artificial mechanisms that mimic natural structures [4] ( Websters Dictionary-1974). Biomimetics, (bios meaning life, mimesis meaning imitate) a name coined by Otto Schmitt in the 1950s for the transfer of ideas and analogues from biology to technology. Biomimetic dentistry is the practice of dentistry which applies the concept of Biomimetics. The primary goal of biomimetics refers to natural processing in a manner similiar to the natural process within the oral cavity, such as the calcification of a soft tissue precursor. The secondary meaning refers to the mimicking / recovery of the biomechanics of the original tooth by restoration [5]. Natural teeth through the optimal combination of Enamel and Dentin demonstrate the perfect & unmatched compromise between stiffness, strength & resilience. Ideally the restorative materials must match mechanical/ biological / optical properties closely to the tissue that is intended to get replaced. Biomimetics permits the repair of affected dentition imitating the characteristics of a natural tooth in terms of biological, esthetic, biomechanical, and functional properties [6]. A variety of bioactive formulations such as micro‐ and nano‐hydroxyapatite (HA), tricalcium phosphate, mineral trioxide, casein‐phosphate, and bioactive glasses have been introduced recently due to their excellent biocompatibility, biomimicry, bioactivity and remineralisation potentials. Biomaterials can be classified into three different Paper ID: SR20924143812 DOI: 10.21275/SR20924143812 1452