Dental Applications of Low‐Temperature Nonthermal Plasmas

Abstract

Oral cavity and teeth are important organs of human body. The attention and cost for dental treatments increase every year. In dental clinics, the most common diseases are dental caries, periodontal disease, and stomatitis. Dental aesthetics such as tooth whitening is one of important part of dental clinics. However, conventional treatment methods in dental clinics have limitations by pain and long‐time treatment. Nonthermal plasmas have shown great potential as noble techniques to dental applications due to safety and multi‐functional effects achieved by the abundant plasma components including charged particles, radiation, and reactive species. Reactive oxygen species generated from plasmas can effectively inhibit pathogen activity. The use of nonthermal plasmas is efficient in treating oral diseases because the construction of the plasma devices allows easy access to the oral cavity. However, few studies have been conducted on the use of plasmas in oral disease. Tooth aesthetics, as well as treatment of oral diseases, are important in determining the quality of human life. Recent studies have shown nonthermal plasmas to have strong tooth‐bleaching effects. Studies on oral care using nonthermal plasmas will significantly contribute to oral health in the future. magnified image

Plasma in dentistry

“…The application of plasma in dentistry showed several unique advantages over conventional approaches, and the introduction of NTAPP is attracting a lot of attention [159]. Because of its low temperature under atmospheric condition, it can be used directly onto or in the human tissues.…”

<b>Tecnologia de Plasma na Odontologia</b>: Revisão de literatura

“…Plasmas térmicos e não térmicos são algumas das muitas classificações utilizadas (3). O plasma térmico é um fenômeno que ocorre na natureza (o fogo, por exemplo), já o plasma não térmico (ambiental ou frio) é aquele cuja composição e temperatura são ajustáveis em uma ampla gama de parâmetros, como: tipo de entrada de energia, potência de entrada, tipo de gás, pressão, composição do gás e outros (2,3,4). Na maioria dos casos, os plasmas frios são gerados por aplicação de um campo elétrico a um gás neutro ou a uma mistura de gases (3).…”

Investigation of a Microdischarge System with the Vortex Gas Supply

“…A considerable number of works are devoted to this subject [1], because the application of microdischarge plasma is promising for the low-temperature treatment of materials. A number of devices have already been developed, which are intended for the treatment of oral cavity (e.g., dental bleaching [2], the improvement of the filling material density, mouth treatment [3][4][5], and others). There are also experimental data testifying to a possibility of successfully using plasma to treat living tissues in order to deactivate microorganisms [6], for sterilization [7], inactivation of cancer cells [8], to stop bleeding (for blood coagulation), to heal wounds, and so on.…”