NANODENTISTRY-IT’S TIME HAS COME
Technology is the dream of today and reality of tomorrow.A car flying is a dream of present but may be it is a future of tomorrow.With this it forces us to think,how about technological advancement in dental science?Yes even for dentistry we can have present dreams converted into reality of tomorrow.To exemplify this Nanodentistry would serve as the best example.
WHAT IS NANOTECHNOLOGY ?
Nano is derived from the greek words which means ‘a dwarf’.A nanmeter is one billionth of a meter.Nano particles have there implication on developmenton various sciences but here we will discuss nanotechnology in Dentistry.
WHAT IS NANODENTISTRY ?
You can quite guess the answer,its nanotechnology principles applied in dentistry.
APPLICATIONS:
There are wide implication in almost all the specialities of dentistry, like
· Anaesthesia
· Major tooth repair
· Plaque control
· Orthodontic treatment
· Dentine hypersensitivity
· Diagnosis of oral cancer
· Site specific drug delivery system
Anaesthesia:
Imagine that you inject the anaesthetic solution and you can actually guide it through the gums and tooth pulp sounds good.Colloidal suspension carrying million of active anaesthetic nanorobots is applied to the patients gingival which peneterates it & proceeds towards dental pulp through pathway directed by the dentists with the help of nanocomputer.When dentist select the icon the desired tooth numbs and the process is reversible,the nanorobot then egress out along the same way of ingress andare then aspirated.these all takes only 100 seconds.
MAJOR TOOTH REPAIR:
Tooth structure loss is treated by various filling materials.these days we use nanofilled composites resembling as close as tooth structure.LETS DREAM MORE…How about replacing the damaged tooth withnatural tooth developed in vitro and placed in tooth socket using nanorobots.This may be the dream of today but may be reality of tomorrow.
PLAQUE CONTROL:
Nano robotic dentrifices would be delivered by mouthwash or toothpaste and could patrol all the supra and subgingival surfaces metabolising trapped organic foods into harmless,odourless vapours thereby preventing colonisation of microbes and eventually halitosis.
ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT:
Orthodontic nanorobotic remodelling of periodontal tissues would allow tooth positioning in unbelievable time span of few hours.So you walk in for ortho treatment,watch TV,listen to music and enjoy while your teeth are getting aligned and then you walk out with a perfect smile.
DENTINE HYPERSENSITIVITY:
Presently we are using restorative procedures and hypersensitivity toothpaste for dentinal hypersensitivity.Quite likely that with nano robots a precise and selective occlusion of dentinal tubules by active biomolecules would be possible,thus granting quick and permanent cure.
DIAGNOSIS OF ORAL CANCER:
With alarming number of cases of oral cancers in India,the early diagnosis of oral cancer is becaming an essentially but yet it is a great challenge for the dentists.However with the evolution of nano probes the diagnosis can be done by sensing large number of biomolecules & converting the biochemical signals into electric one thus speeding early diagnosis of cancers.
SITE SPECIFIC DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM:
With nano technology it would be possible to deliver drugs in the specific tissues thus nullifying the adverse side effects.To site example of such a site delivery system would be the ARESTIN which is minocycline hydrochloride incorporated in form of microspheres having specificity for the periodontal pockets.