Abstract
Oral diseases are the most common non-communicable diseases in the world, with dental caries and periodontitis causing major health and social problems. These diseases can progress to systematic diseases and cause disfigurement when left untreated. However, treatment of oral diseases is among the most expensive treatments and often focus on restoration of form and function. Caries prevention has traditionally relied on oral hygiene and diet control, among other preventive measures. In this paper, these measures are not disqualified but are brought into a new context through the use of nanotechnology-based materials to improve these conventional therapeutic and preventive measures. Among inorganic nanomaterials, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have shown promising outcomes in dental therapy, due to their unique physicochemical properties and enhanced anti-bacterial activities. As such, AgNPs may provide newer strategies for treatment and prevention of dental infections. However, numerous concerns around the chemical synthesis of nanomaterials, which are not limited to cost and use of toxic reducing agents, have been raised. This has inspired the green synthesis route, which uses natural products as reducing agents. The biogenic AgNPs were reported to be biocompatible and environmentally friendly when compared to the chemically-synthesized AgNPs. As such, plant-synthesized AgNPs can be used as antimicrobial, antifouling, and remineralizing agents for management and treatment of dental infections and diseases.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilOral diseases such as dental caries and periodontitis are the most common noncommunicable diseases and affect people of all ages, causing pain, discomfort, tooth loss and disfigurement [1,2]
Dental caries is a chronic oral disease caused by accumulation of microbial biofilm on the tooth surface; it occurs as a result of acid build-up that was converted from the free sugars consumed from food products
AgNPs prepared with Glycyrrhiza glabra (G. glabra) and Amphipterygium adstringens extracts inhibited the bacterial growth of E. faecalis and the fungus Camellia sinensis (Cs). albicans
Summary
Dental caries is a chronic oral disease caused by accumulation of microbial biofilm (plaque) on the tooth surface; it occurs as a result of acid build-up that was converted from the free sugars consumed from food products. The formation and composition of the pellicle vary from one surface to another [19] Imbalance in these factors causes fluctuations in plaque pH as a result of increased bacterial acid production and decreased buffering action from saliva and the surrounding tooth structure. Additional extrinsic sources of calcium and phosphate ions are required to accelerate the natural remineralization process Both demineralization and remineralization processes happen concurrently during the day, with the long-term disequilibrium between the two processes resulting in the development of dental caries [25]
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