Nisha K Jayakumari

The nanoparticulate systems are materials having less than 100 nm at least in one dimension. Various nanoparticulate drug delivery systems include biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, solid nanoparticles, lipid-based nanoparticles, nano liposomes, nano hydrogel, magnetic nanoparticles, quantum dots etc. As a family of nanoscale particulate materials, hydrogel nanoparticles (recently referred to as nanogels) have been the points of convergence of considerable amount of efforts devoted to the study of these systems dealing with drug delivery approaches. Interestingly, hydrogel nanoparticulate materials would demonstrate the features and characteristics hydrogels and nanoparticles separately posses, at the same time. Thus, there are many advantages of the nanoparticles including hydrophilicity, flexibility, versatility, high water absorptivity, and biocompatibility. The specific properties which help use of nanogel in medicine, especially dentistry, are the long life span of the drug and the possibility of it being directed to the desired area. Owing to the fact that the concept of nanogels in dentistry is in its infancy, the need arises to disseminate the available information so as to spurt activity in this important area. Here we review the properties, advantages, disadvantages, classification and application of nanogel in dentistry and specifically in periodontics.