Biosafety of Nanoparticles Used in Orthodontics - A Literature Review

Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating matter, measured in the billionths of a nanometer, roughly the size of two or three atoms. It is widely used in our day-today life including its use in medicine and is considered as a vital current technology of the 21st century based on its economic and scientific potential. Its application is being experimented in various domains in orthodontics, from surface coatings to the development of novel materials. Orthodontic materials must have specific characteristics such as biological safety, functionality, and adequate tissue response. They have to pass specific biocompatibility tests to meet regulatory standards. Any material used in oral cavity might encourage unnecessary disturbance due to its complex and varied environment. The nanomaterials have many advantages in the field of orthodontics, especially with improved mechanical and antimicrobial properties. Nanoparticles can easily penetrate tissues and can affect biological behaviours at different levels. The introduction of nanotechnology gives better opportunities to both patient and orthodontist to new physicochemical, mechanical, and antibacterial properties of nanosized materials and can be used in coating orthodontic wires, elastomeric ligatures, and brackets, producing shape memory polymers and orthodontic bonding materials. The present review article focuses on the application of nanoparticles in orthodontics. This article presents a brief overview of nanotechnology, types of nanoparticles, biological safety of different nanoparticles used in orthodontics and their applications in the field of dentistry and orthodontics. KEY WORDS Nanoparticles, Biocompatibility, Orthodontics, Nanoscience