Dental applications of nanodiamonds

Nanodiamonds (NDs) are being used for a range of applications such as drug delivery, tissue regeneration and gene therapy. Although the potential of these remarkable materials has been investigated for dental applications, to date there is no published review to summarize the conducted studies. Due to unique properties such as target cell specificity, nanometer size and fluorescence, NDs have been found useful for various applications in dentistry. Main applications of NDs in dentistry include guided tissue regeneration, reinforcement of polymers and drug delivery to treat infections and cancers. Researchers have suggested that NDs can be used as bioactive or antibacterial dental implant coatings. However, to date, the research conducted on their biocompatibility is limited and inconclusive. Hence, substantially more in vitro and in vivo studies are required to envisage the future of NDs in dentistry. It is hoped that in the next decade, these promising materials will find a variety of routine applications in clinical dentistry.