| abstract |
Biocompatible nanocrystalline materials based on apatite with high specific surface properties, having average size of the crystallites comprised between 0.5 and 200 nm and possible lattice deformations and/or defects, are proposed for use in the fields of dentistry and dental hygiene, in particular for the production of preparations, solutions, toothpastes and materials for the remineralisation of enamel and dentine and for the treatment of dentine hypersensitivity. The apatite-based nanostructured materials appear to possess specific physico-chemical properties connected to their nanocrystalline and defective nature, such as the remarkable surface chemical reactivity and the hygroscopicity, which allow the material to recrystallise as a result of the metastable character of the nanocrystalline system, to be used for the remineralisation of enamel and dentine. In addition, they possess the most suitable grain sizes to easily and deeply penetrate mechanically within the dentinal tubules, and also cause it to cement the internal surface thereof, both by swelling and by readily reacting with the natural tissues. |