ROLE OF NANOPARTICLES IN THE EFFECTIVE REMOVAL OF BIOFILM: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

The success of endodontic treatment is thorough debridement and cleaning of the root canal system. Endodontic treatment is considered challenging as the conventional cleaning and disinfection methods fail to eliminate persistent bacterial biofilms within the complex anatomical structures. Root canal infections are biofilm mediated. The complexity of the root canal system along with various bacteria in biofilm makes disinfection extremely challenging. Traditional methods might fail to penetrate the complex root canal system leading to persistence of biofilm in lateral and accessory canals making it a niche for secondary infection. The advent of nanoparticles in the field of endodontics has shown noteworthy results. Nanoparticles possess antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. They can cause the destruction of cell wall, increase the permeability of cell membrane, production of reactive oxygen species, inhibition of various enzymes and genotoxicity. Thus, nanoparticles could transform endodontics by obtaining greater results and improving the quality of success of treatment. Various nanoparticles like graphene, silver nanoparticles, chitosan, hydroxyapatite, bioactive glass, iron compounds, etc have been extensively studied. The future of endodontics is heading down the nano-direction as most of the challenges faced are all nanosized.