Nanotechnology: Its Role in Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics

Nanotechnology has been creating its niche in various aspects of dentistry and restorative dentistry and endodontics are no exceptions [1,2]. Nanotechnology deals with nanostructures, which may assume the form of surface nanoroughness, nanopits, nanomountains or nanoparticles. The properties at Nano scale differ significantly from the properties at bigger scale because of the increased surface area and the so called “quantum effect” which is the deviation in properties of particles when they are smaller than a characteristic size scale, of the order of few to few hundred nanometers. Under this size do the particulate nature of fundamental matter (molecules, atoms, ions, electrons) start to emerge, due to confinement effects, especially in light-matter interaction[1]. Quantum effect is used to maximize the desirable properties of materials, and restorative dentistry and endodontics have not remained untouched by this trend.