Smart Hydrogels for The Treatment of Oral Cavity Diseases

The unique environment specific to the oral cavity is suitable for the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria and infections. The effectiveness of drug treatment is often reduced due to the fact that saliva dilutes the mediating formulation and reduces the interaction between the drug and its site of action. An efficient way to solve this problem is the creation of polymeric systems sensitive to the action of stimuli that command the release of the drug at the right place, time and in suitable doses. Due to their ability to respond to stimuli, hydrogels have been applied as an excellent drug-delivery system for treatments that include caries, endodontic diseases, periodontal diseases, bone diseases, mucosal diseases, oral cancer. The present paper proposes a review of recent research in the field of obtaining hydrogels that respond to physical (temperature, UV and visible light) chemical (pH, glucose) and biological stimuli (enzymes) - smart hydrogels -, with applications in the treatment of oral cavity diseases.