Clinical Use of Nanoparticles in Orthodontics as Possible Aid to Reduce the Incidence of White Spot Lesions

Abstract

In the recent years, the number of patients treated with fixed orthodontic appliances is permanently increasing, as well as their interest for esthetic treatment issues. One potential unwanted consequence of orthodontic therapy is the onset of white spot lesions on teeth enamel during treatment. The present review includes studies published between 2010 and 2021 on three different databases (Science Direct, PubMed, Google Scholar) regarding the implications of nanoparticles in white spots prevention. The initial databases search identified 471 entries. Following the PRISMA-P 2015 guide, 39 scientific articles were selected for full text evaluation. The studies were divided into four categories. The interpretation of studies included in this review permits us to sustain the idea that the use of nanoparticles in various orthodontic materials improves their bioactivity, decreases the biofilm appearance around components of the fixed appliances, and can even initiate remineralization in the enamel proximity. Most of the analysed articles are in-vitro studies of new biomaterials properties, in the recent years depicting an increase interest of the researchers towards randomized control trials regarding clinical use of new orthodontic biomaterials.