Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
65 nm
290 nm
55 nm
1
ยต
m
Conducting polymers
Silicon nanostructures
Single nanoparticle lines
AFM tip
Writing
direction
Molecular transport
Water
meniscus
Protein nanoarrays
Sol-gel templates
Solid substrate
65 nm
Tunnel junctions
E (V)
Single particle devices
Small organic molecules
Ultrahigh density DNA arrays
FIGURE 1.7
Some of the potential applications of DPN (Byrne, private communication, 2006).
1.4
Applications
Over the years, developments in dentistry have made many dental treatment procedures fast, reliable,
safe, and much less painful. New technologies such as nanotechnology, dental implantology, cosmetic
surgery, use of lasers, and digital dentistry have had great impact on dental treatment methodologies
and recovery time. Even though the concept of nanotechnology has always existed, its discovery is
attributed to Richard Feynman who won the Nobel Prize in 1959 for his theories regarding nanosized
devices. In the field of medicine, nanotechnology has been applied in diagnosis, prevention, and treat-
ment of diseases. Nanotechnology offers considerable scope in dentistry to improve dental treatment,
care and prevention of oral diseases. The following chapters in this topic discuss about the recent
developments in this interdisciplinary field bridging nanotechnology and dentistry.
Nanotechnology has been in dentistry for tooth sealants and fillers that use nanosized particles
to improve their strength, luster, and resist wear. The application of nanoparticles in dental materi-
als and their synthesis has been discussed in the next chapter. Antimicrobial nanoparticles in restor-
ative composite materials are being used to prevent dental caries. For example, silver particles
as antibacterial agents when used in fillers and toothpastes can retard bacterial growth and reduce
