3D-Printed Microneedles for Periodontal and Oral Mucosal Therapy: A Systematic Review of Therapeutic and Fabrication Strategies

Abstract

Microneedles (MNs) technologies have emerged as a promising platform for localized drug delivery in the mouth, offering minimally invasive access to the oral mucosa, including gingival tissues. However, their integration with advanced additive manufacturing remains underexplored, despite the need for high-precision, patient-specific devices that can overcome the limitations of conventional pharmacotherapy. This review analyzes the recent developments in 3D-printed MNs for intraoral drug delivery, focusing on polymeric designs enabled by stereolithography, digital light processing, continuous liquid interface production, and two-photon polymerization. High-resolution vat-photopolymerization systems demonstrate superior spatial resolution and fabrication accuracy, allowing the reproducible production of MNs geometries with optimized tip radii, internal channels, and drug-loading microstructures. MNs-mediated delivery of antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and healing-promoting agents demonstrates potential not only for the management of periodontal inflammation, oral mucosal lesions, and soft-tissue defects but also for preventive interventions in early-stage diseases and for the control of recurrence. Despite these advances, major barriers persist, including limited in vivo validation under dynamic oral conditions, insufficient mechanical assessment under masticatory forces and salivary flow, and a lack of standardized regulatory frameworks for intraoral MNs devices. Overall, the current findings indicate that 3D-printed MNs represent an emerging and highly promising class of localized therapeutic delivery systems for the management of conditions affecting the periodontal tissues and the oral mucosa, with substantial opportunities for technological refinement and clinical translation.