Abstract
The intensive development of micro- and nanotechnologies in recent years has offered a wide horizon of new possibilities for drug delivery in dentistry. The use of polymeric drug carriers turned out to be a very successful technique for formulating micro- and nanoparticles with controlled or targeted drug release in the oral cavity. Such innovative strategies have the potential to provide an improved therapeutic approach to prevention and treatment of various oral diseases not only for adults, but also in the pediatric dental practice. Due to their biocompatibility, biotolerance and biodegradability, naturally occurring polysaccharides like chitosan, alginate, pectin, dextran, starch, etc., are among the most preferred materials for preparation of micro- and nano-devices for drug delivery, offering simple particle-forming characteristics and easily tunable properties of the formulated structures. Their low immunogenicity and low toxicity provide an advantage over most synthetic polymers for the development of pediatric formulations. This review is focused on micro- and nanoscale polysaccharide biomaterials as dental drug carriers, with an emphasis on their potential application in pediatric dentistry.
Highlights
Pediatric dentistry includes diagnostics, prevention and treatment of specific diseases and oral conditions associated with pediatric dental patients [1,2]
The results indicated that the optimal conditions for microparticles with a high percentage of entrapped drug and preferable release profile were 1:1 drug:chitosan ratio, 5% glutaraldehyde based on chitosan solution and 30 min cross-linking time
The results showed that pectin and alginate were able to form stable nanoparticles in an acidic environment similar to those during cariogenic attacks
Summary
Prevention and treatment of specific diseases and oral conditions associated with pediatric dental patients [1,2]. The rapid development of micro- and nanotechnologies in recent years and their gradual implementation in dentistry provoke more researchers to focus on the development of novel polymer-based therapeutic systems and their imposition in personalized oral treatment. Such systems provide new options for prevention and treatment of oral diseases and improvement of the properties of the materials used for operative, endodontic and periodontal treatment for children [5,6]. Polymer drug delivery systems can be designed for targeted therapy, enabling the drug to be directed to a desired location in the oral cavity [6,11].
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