Applications of Polymeric Micro- and Nano-Particles in Dentistry

Abstract

The use of micro- and nanoparticles is rapidly advancing and has been most commonly used in medical and biological research that offers an encouraging scope in broad range of disciplines. Manipulation of the biomaterials to their micro- and nano-scale renders their properties and behavior different from that of the same material in the mass scale and make them more reactive than large particles. The removal of tooth structure and its restoration with synthetic material to solve the problems caused by dental caries, trauma and fracture is a practice nearly as old as dentistry. Efforts are made to create micro- and nanomaterials that can revolutionize these ancestral therapies and dental procedures. The use of these materials had shown some promising applications in caries control, endodontic therapy, regenerative dentistry, periodontology and oral biofilm management. This review aims to discuss the recent advances and future potential of polymer-based micro- and nanoparticles in dentistry.