Summary
Nano-dentistry today seems like a dream, however the advances of science through nanotechnology, in the understanding of the complex interrelated micro worlds between the dental organ and the colonizing microorganisms, opens a cosmos of possibilities that could revolutionize the world of dentistry, such as the maintenance of oral health in a minute period of time by involving the use of nanomaterials, nanobiotechnology and a recent proposal "nanorobts". This article reviews the applications of nanotechnology in dental sciences, and how these new technologies are allowing a great contribution to the development of innovative materials in dentistry such as nanoparticles, nanotubes, and nanocomposites, among others, that can be applied directly at the clinic,and that mark a range of possibilities of invaluable importance in the conservative procedures of the profession.
Abstract
Nowadays nano-dentistry would see-like a dream; never the less the advances of science through the nanotechnology; in the understanding of complex interrelated microworlds between dental organtissues and the colonizing microorganism; opening a cosmos of new possibilities that could revolutionized the world of dentistry area, as it is the maintenance of oral health in a short-period of time when the dentistry involve the use of nanomaterials, nanobiotechnology and; the new proposal idea «nanorobots». This articles a revision of the applications of the molecular engineering techniques in dental sciences and how these new technologies are allowing a great contribution to the development of new innovative dental materials like nanoparticles, nanotubes and nanocomposites;that could be applied directly in the clinic and how these technologies will be open new possibilities of invaluable importance in the preservative procedures of the dental profession area.
Introduction
Nanotechnology is a field of applied science dedicated to the control and manipulation of matter at the level of atoms and molecules, in a range between one and one hundred nanometers. It allows the creation of materials, devices and systems by controlling matter at that scale. In the field of Dentistry, highly specialized bio-sensors have been developed, which would allow the identification of diseases in saliva. In the near future, its use in the diagnosis of high impact diseases such as breast, ovarian and pancreas cancer, Alzheimer's disease, AIDS, diabetes and osteoporosis will be key.
Professional activities in dentistry, since its inception, have been directed especially to the rehabilitation and restoration of dental structures, as a consequence of the dissolution that dental caries generates. This conception and field of action of the dentist is based on the ancestral postulates of the profession, where it was considered that the elimination of demineralized tissue and its restoration were essential procedures to resolve the aftermath of this pandemic.
Likewise, in response to the demand for restorations where aesthetics have occupied a predominant place, advances in science and technology have directed their efforts to create materials that meet the general appreciation and need towards materials that restore dental tissue. lost with appearance similar to the natural structure of the tooth. For this reason, as a consequence of the advances of science in the Area of Dentistry; This article aims to review the applications that nanotechnology has had in dental sciences; the contributions of these new technologies in the development of innovative materials with particles in nanometric ranges; and its daily clinical application as nanoparticles, nanotubes, and nanocomposites, among others,as well as the set of possibilities and contributions that are glimpsed of invaluable importance in the conservative procedures of the profession, revolutionizing ancestral therapeutics and dental procedures.
Nowadays, trying to conceptualize the Area of Dental Sciences is something very complex, since most of the investigations orient their efforts under the prevailing restorative conception, where the aesthetics and stability of the material that restores the functionality of the mutilated tooth is its primary objective; However, basic science investigations increase the complexity of dental sciences, since it is one of the few areas that focuses on the search for strategies to regenerate and / or repair the stomatognathic apparatus that includes a fascinating and enigmatic microworld that there is in the human body "the dental organ."
In this context, research carried out has demonstrated the regenerative capacity of the tooth when it is subjected to elements such as fluoride that promote its demineralization, thus establishing the scientific bases and thereby refuting the misconception that was held regarding dental caries, as an irreversible process, and therefore constitutes a precedent that has a beneficial impact on the conservation and maintenance of dental structures.
In this tiny world, for researchers, a marvelous and mysterious cosmos opens up, which allows to definitively explore a sector of technological development that until now remained in the dark, and which could illuminate the world of dentistry. The applicability of nanotechnology in the dental field has become evident both in general practice procedures and in various specialties. Today's dentist already works with nano materials in his private clinic and it is enough to mention that various companies have begun to sell their products as nano-hybrid resins, nano-fillers and / or nano-adhesives, which, when manipulated at «nano» scales they increase mechanical, physical and chemical properties when compared to conventional materials used in clinical practice.
Nano particles have begun to play an important role in both medicine and dentistry, where there are applications such as silver nano particles that are being used as an alternative to agents for dental fillings. The wonderful thing about these nanoparticles are the new anti-wear, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties that they present in their surface chemistry, so they can be used in the treatment of problems related to the root of the teeth, an action that has amazed the dental community., by being able to combat Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans, a property that unquestionably offers a range of possibilities and benefits for the patient's health.
Regarding the regeneration of enamel and dentin, the combination of tissue bioengineering; Along with the development of genetically engineered trigger nanoparticles and nanoparticles that are biomimetic with mineralized tissues, they have begun to bear fruit in the fabrication of dental organs in vitro. An example of this is the amelogenin gene that has been manipulated to adhere to hydroxyapatite nanoparticles which, when fired directly to stem cells encapsulated in nanohydrogels; they begin to exert their effect on the formation of enamel tissue. Likewise, the results obtained when the nanohydrogel is used in cell co-culture with a network of nanofibers that carry inside particles loaded with the dentin sialoprotein gene,indicate that stem cells can organize themselves into cell layers that are transformed into dentin and enamel tissue similar to the tissues found in the dental organ. This first approach opens up the possibility that in the future dental practice will drastically change, allowing the manufacture of teeth in the same dental office, thereby achieving one of the most important scientific contributions in the profession.thereby achieving one of the most important scientific contributions in the profession.thereby achieving one of the most important scientific contributions in the profession.
In the specialty of orthodontics, nanoparticles are being applied that control pain signaling and that increase the branching of nerves by using nanospheres filled with factors that induce the regeneration of nervous tissue. However, in this area of specialty nanotechnology is still a dream, as is the proposal suggested by Dr. Sims, who argues that the use of braces could be replaced by nanorobots programmed to control the biomechanical response of bone. and the periodontal ligament, in order to achieve tooth movement. In the same way, the implantology area will benefit from the development of a material called nano bone, which closely mimics the structure and composition of real bones,which will make artificial titanium implants a material of the past. This is due to the fact that nanobone implants have a greater capacity to interact with living tissues and allow the body to repair itself much faster, since when it recognizes it as a similar nanomaterial, it tries to develop in it.
To this end, in the area of surgery and implantology, scientists are creating "smart" implants, which are capable of detecting what type of tissue is developing on them, communicate the information to a handheld device, and release drugs as needed to promote tissue development. Such implants are also designed to help avoid the complications commonly seen after a bone implant, such as infection, inflammation (or scar development), implant loosening, and, in the case of bone cancer, implant recurrence.
In the same way, scientists have been investigating implants that have inherent mechanisms to protect the body from infection or to inhibit the development of cancer, such as silver, zinc, zirconium, selenium, and chromium.
Specifically for the orthopedic and dental area, it is intended to create materials for direct application to bone tissue that mimic the natural nanostructure of our tissues, by modifying the surface of the implants on a nanometric scale. This would allow a better interaction of the surface of an implant with ions, biomolecules and cells, favoring the biocompatibility of the bioimplant. Thus, for example, titanium implants are being developed with nano-coatings, nano-films and nanostructured surfaces that would favor the union of bone tissue to the implant surface (bone integration).
In this sense, in the Biomaterials Laboratory of the Chair of Pathological Anatomy of the Faculty of Dentistry of the UBA together with the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering of the UBA, we are committed to the study of the application of techniques to vary in a controlled way the characteristics of the titanium surface, such as surface treatment by chemical attack and texturing by laser ablation.
Although nanotechnology, with its valuable contributions, aims to provide answers to the growing demands in different areas, it is necessary to understand that these advances can not only generate great benefits but also problems and risks that must be studied and prevented.
In this way, nanoparticles could have negative effects on humans or the environment, aspects of which nanotoxicology (5) and nanoecotoxicology are responsible for their treatment.
Nanoparticles can enter the body by inhalation, ingestion, injection, and / or through the skin. They could also be generated within the body from the surface of metallic implants of biomedical devices such as hip prostheses, grids, plates, screws and distractors used in surgery.
In the Biomaterials Laboratory we study, among other lines of research, the problem of corrosion of implants for biomedical use, considering that the surface of an implant could be a potential source of release of micro and nanoparticles to the bioenvironment.
In this sense, we evaluate the biodistribution, fate and potential risk in the organism of titanium particles at micro and nanometric scales in experimental models in laboratory animals. The study of the biological effects of nanoparticles represents a new challenge in nanotoxicology and in biocompatibility studies.
Finally, scientific advances are opening up new areas of specialization, such is the case of the new coined term "Biodontics" which tries to integrate the results of basic and clinical science research, to incorporate contemporary developments in molecular biology, computer science (DNA and RNA nanochips), nanogenetics, bioengineering, and nanotechnology with clinical dentistry, which consequently lead to the development of new patentable products and technologies.
The physicist Richard Feynman, winner of the Nobel Prize, in 1959 made the following pronouncement: «The principles of physics, as I understand them, do not deny the possibility of manipulating things atom by atom… The problems of chemistry and Biology could be avoided if we develop our ability to see what we are doing, and to do things at the atomic level. From this speech, which may well have been classified as a piece of oratory, and at the same time glimpsed as a science fiction tale, reflections are given off that started the generation of an echo that sounds louder and louder and that today after 40-year-old is the foundation of a science that has an increasingly pronounced name: «Nanotechnology»,This clearly demonstrates that the advances of this fascinating world are revolutionizing science and technology, confirming the capacity of the human being as a visionary, as well as the need to promote research that supports the dental sciences.
Conclusions
According to what was reported in the articles consulted; Nanotechnology has begun to be of extraordinary value in the field of dental sciences in its application as a tissue regeneration material for aesthetics.
The physical-chemical properties achieved by dental materials with the presence of nanometric particles have increased the efficiency of dental restorative materials.
Characterization of cell compatibility in in vitro cultures and in animal models; of the new dental materials with nanometric particles; have been shown to increase cellular response; that present characteristics of biomimicry with dental tissues; and that support the development of new materials with application in the area of dental implantology, thereby achieving a better quality of life for the population.
At present, nanotechnology research applied to dental sciences can be classified as one of the most innovative projects, with strong potential to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of dental diseases; as well as for tissue regeneration.
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