Nanobiomaterials in dentistry

Abstract

During the last decade, nanotechnology has emerged as a separate field of research, mainly because of its application in different areas, such as engineering, medicine, dentistry, and in the development of different technologies used for different purposes. Particularly in dentistry, nanotechnology has shown to be a promising area due to the variety of new treatment options and possibilities. In dental materials, for example, the main applications of nanotechnology have been to achieve better mechanical properties, higher abrasion resistance, less shrinkage, improved optical and esthetic properties, and to provide antimicrobial properties. Antimicrobial activity is a very important property for nanomaterials used in dentistry because of the lack of this property in resin-based materials. Modern nanotechnology is used in the production of a variety of dental materials such as light-cured composite resins, adhesive systems, impression materials, ceramics, dental implant coatings, and bioceramics, among others. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to present an overview of nanobiomaterials used in dentistry.