SMALL THINGS HAVE A BIG IMPACT: NEW TRENDS IN IMPLANT DENTISTRY

In the twenty first century, nanotechnology has already offered numerous possibilities in implant dentistry. One nano step for man has resulted in a giant leap in implant dentistry. The advent of nanotechnology had created an opportunity for the engineering of new dental implant materials. This technology has also been used to enhance osseointegration by surface modifications of dental implants. Nanometre-controlled surfaces have ultimately directed the nature of peril-implant tissues and improved the clinical success rate of implant therapy. The possibilities introduced by nanotechnology now permit the tailoring of implant chemistry and structure. Nanotechnology in dental implantology has emerged as a frontier research area of interest in this decade. Long thought to be commercially uninhabitable, the once-barren nanotechnology landscape suddenly looks fertile. With the support of some brightest minds in science and engineering, this emerging field of super small is now firmly on the shortlist of technologies poised to produce big things in implant dentistry. In this article, we have made an attempt to review the current trends and future prospects on the impact of nanotechnology in implant dentistry.