NANO ENABLED TOOTH BRUSHES– A REVIEW

Abstract

Nanotechnology is the art and science of material engineering on a scale of less than 100 nm. It revolutionized the medical and dental fields by improving mechanical and physical properties of materials, and helped introduce new diagnostic modalities and nano-delivery systems. Regular mechanical removal of bacterial plaque is essential to prevent the onset of dental diseases such as dental caries, gingivitis and periodontal disease. Oral hygiene practices involve the thorough daily removal of dental plaque and debris using intra oral cleaning devices. Tooth brushes are the most commonly used oral hygiene aids.This review will aim at giving comprehensive data regarding the various advantages and disadvantages associated with using nano enabled tooth brushes.Article search from various databases like pubmed, scopus and Google scholar were done. The outcome was based on the studies which discussed the advantages and disadvantages of nanoparticles embedded tooth brushes.The collected data was analyzed using appropriate statistical tools. Nanoparticles commonly used were silver. The advantages were antibacterial properties, decreased gingivitis, decreased bad breath. Disadvantages were release of nanoparticles from the toothbrush..As technology advanced, nano enabled toothbrushes came into being as an alternative to manual tooth brushing.