Saba Waqar Qureshi, Shahreen Zahid, Shahab-ud din, Mohammad Kaleem, Ali Waqar Qureshi.
Current trends in delivery of agents via dental restorations.
Pak Oral Dental J Jan ;35(4):719-26.

Agents of choice may be introduced in to the mouth via dental restorations, but this concept is only in embryonic stages and needs to be explored, modified, controlled and gauged to make it useful. This study aims at indicating the common therapeutic agents that are being delivered via dental restorations, modern restorative materials successfully delivering agents, and methods of agent incorporation; elaborating the potential for future use of such systems. Relevant publications from the last fifty years were included by searching ‘dental restorations’, and ‘drug delivery systems’ via [Mesh terminology]. Specific exclusion and inclusion criteria were set. It was found that the arena of drug delivery via dental restorations seems to be restricted to fluoride, the most commonly delivered agent via restorations. Glass ionomer cements including resin modified GICs; composites including compomers, and nanocomposites; and to some extent amalgam are the materials being researched upon. Although most research surrounds systems that rely upon recharge, modern microcapsules have been designed that can be used to incorporate the agent into the restoration. There is a dearth of work been done on the factors affecting the delivery of agents. So far, the dicalcium phosphate anhydrous (DCPA) incorporated nanocomposite is the most promising fluoride-delivering restorative material with a competent blend of fluoride releasing and mechanical properties. DCPA-incorporated nanocomposite and ion impregnable microcapsules are new horizons for drug delivery using dental restorations.

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