View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE ISSN: 2456-8090 (online) REVIEW ARTICLE provided by International Healthcare Research Journal (IHRJ) International Healthcare Research Journal 2017;1(7):3-9. DOI: 10.26440/IHRJ/01_07/114 QR CODE Dentistry at the Nano Level: The Advent of Nanodentistry NIKHIL SETH1, KHATEEB KHAN2 A One of the revolutions in the filed of dentistry is nanodentistry. It has the power to completely revolutionized the field B of dentistry through use of nano particles that shall guide and help maintain one’s overall oral health. Painful procedures S shall be a thing of the past as nanomaterials shall reduce pain during various dental procedures, help remineralise tooth T and associated structures and help maintain oral hygiene. This review focusses on the various aspects of nanodentistry R and how it can revolutionize dentistry. A C KEYWORDS: Nanoscience, Nanomaterials, Nanorobots T K INTRODUCTION The entire dental fraternity is witnessing the design more biocompatible, microbe resistant beginning of a truly ground breaking dental materials and implants benefitting the advancement- “Nanodentistry”; which is a rare entire human race. opportunity. Described in simple terms, it implies engineering at the molecular scale.1 Nano is Many hopes are pinned on nanodentistry that it derived from the Greek word “nano” which means will likewise bring tangible benefits to dentistry, dwarf and a nanometer is 10–9 meter, or one- from diagnosis to the clinical level.3 This review billionth of a meter. Since it is difficult to visualise stands in favour of the fact that the upcoming the scale of a nanometer, it might be helpful to methodologies in dental sciences shall be compare the scale with objects of appreciable substituted with finer, more precise and sensitive dimensions. If the height of an average human treatment techniques by the application of being were scaled from the stretch from the earth nanodentistry. to the moon, then each person’s atom would be about the size of a baseball (approx. 10 cms in HISTORY OF NANODENTISTRY diameter). A nanometer would then be about five The history background of nanotechnology is baseballs in a row.2 blotted with a certain amount of skepticism among scholars. Some researchers believe that As properties of dental materials often this is a brand new form of scientific evolution that significantly change following the micro-to-nano did not develop until the late 1980s or early 1990s; shift, a new field was born to explain these rather while others have found evidence that the history strange phenomenon, named nanoscience; the of nanotechnology can be traced back to the year application of its discoveries is dentistry being 1959. Interestingly, other researchers hold the known as “nanodentistry”.3 Using belief that humans have unknowingly used nanocharacterization tools, a variety of oral practical nanotechnological methods for diseases can be understood at the molecular and thousands of years (e.g. making steel, paintings cellular levels and thereby be prevented. Nano- and in vulcanization of rubber).4 enabled technologies thus provides an alternative and superior approach to assess the onset and/or 1867:- The first mention of some of the early and progression of diseases, to identify targets for distinguishing concepts in nanotechnology (but treatment interventions as well as the ability to predating use of that name) was in 1867 by James IHRJ Volume 1 Issue 7 2017 3 Dentistry at the Nano Level Seth N et al. Clerk Maxwell when he proposed through a NANODENTISTRY AND ITS thought experiment that a tiny entity known as APPLICATION Maxwell’s Demon shall be able to handle Nanodentistry shall make the maintenance of 4 individual molecules in the future. near-perfect oral health through the use of nanomaterials, biotechnology (including tissue 1914:- The first observations and size engineering), and nanorobotics. Trends in oral measurements of nano-particles was made during health and disease may change the focus on the first decade of the 20th century mostly specific diagnostic and treatment modalities associated with Richard Adolf Zsigmondy, who because of this technology. made a detailed study of gold sols and other 4 nanomaterials with sizes down to 10 nm or less. According to Baum BJ,9 the three main He was also the first person who used the term components of nanodentistry are:- “nanometer” explicitly for characterizing the size 1. Nanomaterials of a particle and determined it as 1/1,000,000 of 2. Biotechnology (including tissue engineering) millimeter. The credit for developing the first 3. Nanorobotics system of classification based on particle size in 5 the nanometer range can be attributed to him. STATE OF THE FIELD OF NANODENTISTRY AT PRESENT:-10,11 1959:- The topic of nanotechnology was again Nanostructures that are in use at present are:- touched by the talk- ‘‘There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom,’’ given by the Nobel prize winning 1. Nanopores: They are tiny holes that allow DNA physicist Prof. Richard Feynman at an American to pass through, one strand at a time and will Physical Society meeting at Caltech on December 6 make DNA sequencing more efficient. The size of 29, 1959. Prof. Feynman described atomic scale the pores are so minute that separation of DNA fabrication of nanomaterials using a bottom-up might be attempted using this structure(s). As approach, as opposed to the top-down approach DNA passes through a nanopore, researchers can that manufacturers we are accustomed to at that 4 monitor the shape and electrical properties of time. He suggested nanomachines, nanorobots each base, or letter on the strand and this can be and nanodevices ultimately could be used to used to decipher the encoded information in it, develop a wide range of atomically precise including discrepancies in the code known to be microscopic instruments and manufacturing tools associated with cancer and/or other dental and concluded his lecture by saying these often anomalies/diseases.12 quoted lines on nanoscience- “This is a development which I think cannot be avoided.” 2. Nanotubes: They are most common structures made of carbon atoms bonded into honeycomb- 1974:- The word assigned to scientific like shapes with enormous strength and electrical advancement at the nano level is documented to conductivity. These are carbon rods about half the have come from an article that was released in diameter of a molecule of DNA that not only can 1974 written from the Tokyo Science University. detect the presence of altered genes, but may help There, a student, Norio Taniguchi, coined the researchers pinpoint the exact location of those term ‘‘nanotechnology’’ in his article and the name 4,7 changes. It helps to identify DNA changes gained popularity from then on. associated with cancer.13 1977:– Many researchers agree to the fact that the 3. Quantum dots: They are miniscule molecules term “Nanotechnology” was coined by Prof. Kerie making up tiny crystals that glow when stimulated E. Drexler, a lecturer and researcher at MIT 8 through UV light (of varying wavelengths) and are (Massachuehettes Institute of Technology). used to detectabsor cancer. Latex beads are filled Researchers claim that that Prof. Drexler also with these crystals and are designed to bind to introduced molecular nanotechnology concepts specific DNA sequences. By combining different in the late 1970's, which he researched during his sized quantum dots within a single bead, scientists tenure at MIT. can create probes that release distinct colours and IHRJ Volume 1 Issue 7 2017 4 Dentistry at the Nano Level Seth N et al. intensities of light. When the crystals are 6. Nanobelt: They have advantages over stimulated by UV light, each bead emits light that nanotubes in terms of price, flexibility and serves as a sort of spectral bar code, identifying a practicality. For making nanobelts, oxide is particular region of DNA. To detect cancer, evaporated for 2 hours. The oxide contains zinc, scientists can design quantum dots that bind to tin, cadmium, gallium or indium. A Nanobelt is sequences of DNA that are associated with the deposited as a wool like product and the little disease. When the quantum dots are stimulated straps have a rectangular cross section, with a with light, they emit their unique bar codes, or width of 30-300 nm and a thickness of 10-15 nm labels, making the critical, cancer associated DNA and each belt is a single crystal. Because the sequences visible. 12,14 material is already an oxide, it does not undergo a chemical reaction and has a pure, flawless surface. 4. Nanoshells: These are miniscule beads that are To mainly differentiate between nanotubes and coated with gold. By manipulating the thickness of nanobelts, the lengh of nanotubes are a few layers that make the nanoshells, scientists can millionths of a meter long, while the nanobelts are design these beads to absorb specific wavelengths millimeters long. Also, while nanotubes are made of light. The most useful nanoshells are those that of pure carbon, belts have been made from five absorb near-infrared light, which can easily oxides.16 penetrate several centimeters of human tissue. UV light absorbed by the nanoshells creates localised TECHNIQUES APPLIED IN heat which is intense and is lethal to cells. NANODENTISTRY Researchers can already link nanoshells to Nanodentistry employs two main techniques antibodies that recognise cancer cells. Scientists namely:-17 envision letting these nanoshells seek out their a). Bottom up Technique. cancerous targets, then applying neainfrared light. b). Top Down Technique. In laboratory cultures, the heat generated by the light-absorbing nanoshells has successfully killed A). BOTTOM UP TECHNIQUE: tumor cells while leaving neighbouring cells This technique seeks to arrange smaller 15,16 intact. components into a more complex assembly.17 Nanodentistry as a bottom up approach 5.