Effectiveness of Ozone against Common Dental Problems: A Literature Review

Abstract

Oral disease represents a major concern among all populations. Despite great efforts that have been made in the past few decades to overcome these diseases; a large part of the world population still suffers from oral diseases which are considered a major reason for the loss of a tooth. Different bacterial species colonizes the oral cavity, some of the bacteria are found to be associated with the cause of one of the most common disease called periodontitis. The infectious nature of periodontopathogens has been studied extensively. Currently, treatment of various oral diseases includes supragingival as well as subgingival debridement, root canal treatment and in severe cases, extraction along with antibiotic therapy to help achieve a pathogen-free environment.Continued research and development in the field of dentistry have brought new approaches in treatment modalities. The use of ozone is one of the latest therapies that has gained the interest of researchers in thepast few decades. Ozone is a pale blue colour gas and is the natural constituent of the atmospheric layer of Earth. It is a modern pharmacological approach that is biocompatible and has shown its effectiveness against bacteria (gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria), viruses, and fungi. The beneficial biological effect of ozone has made its usage at all stages of disease propitious. The explication of the mechanism of ozone at the molecular level has proved to be beneficial in different medical and dental treatments. The use of ozone in clinical practice can be advantageous to the patient in terms of pain relief and treatment time. Therefore,this article briefly reviews the chemical nature of ozone, its therapeutic uses, and the benefits it can provide in the treatment of various oral diseases.