Functional Ability of Dental Materials After Inclusion of Nanocarriers Containing Functional Substances: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Nanocarriers are nanoparticles used to transport functional substances. Objective:: This study aimed to perform a systematic review analyzing the functional ability of dental materials after the inclusion of nanocarriers containing functional substances. Materials and Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, SciELO, and Science Direct from (02/03/21) to (02/06/21) without restriction on the year of publication. We included studies evaluating the incorporation of Chitosan, PEG-PCL (poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone), PLGA (poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), and mesoporous silica into dental materials. We analyzed the risk of bias with CRIS guidelines and consolidated all analyses using Microsoft Office Excel. Results: In total, we found 656 studies and included 11. The articles investigated materials to eliminate microorganisms, interference with materials’ mechanical properties, elution of remineralizing substances, and reduction of oral anesthetic toxicity. Chitosan and mesoporous silica were the most prevalent nanocarriers. Among all properties, the antibacterial activity was the most analyzed. The functional ability of dental materials provided by all nanocarriers improved. Conclusion: The use of nanocarriers may be a useful way to produce dental materials with improved functional abilities. We registered this manuscript in the Open Science Framework platform - DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/RP5XK, available at https://osf.io/qg49x.