Applications of Nanomaterials in Dental Appliances

Abstract

Introduction: The evolutionary microbes develop resistance against the prior encountered less-effective antimicrobial agents. Most of the conventional materials used in dental appliances, fail to achieve the efficacy to inhibit the biofilm accumulation and replication. The objective of this review article is to provide an update on applications of metal nanoparticles and metal oxide nanoparticles in the development of modern nanocomposites, nano-sealers, ionomeric cements, dental implants, and prosthetics of superior quality. Data Source: Electronic databases like PubMed/Medline, google scholar, and Scopus were searched with proper keywords. The final study was performed using 164 articles short-listed out of 349 total documents found. Conclusion: Nanotechnology can rightly be called the “disruptive technology” in dental science. It is successfully replacing the old technology along with its existing market and value network. Moreover, the development of stimuli-responsive selfrepairing materials and dental hard tissue regenerative materials are in demand. Nanotechnology is definitely the solution. Though different dental nanoceramics have enhanced structural integrity through defect control and damage tolerance, more extensive investigation is required for the successful clinical use of those products. Nano-biosensing is at an early stage in dental science, it will definitely play a critical role in the future development of dental materials.