Biomaterials and designer functional applications in oral cavity

Abstract

Dental biomaterials and natural products represent two growing research fields, revealing that plant¬derived compounds may play a role not only as nutraceuticals in affecting oral health but also in improving physicochemical properties of biomaterials used in dentistry. Recently, the role of free radicals in healthcare has attracted tremendous interest in the field of medicine, dentistry and molecular biology. Free radicals can be either harmful or helpful to the human body. When there is an imbalance between input and output of free radicals, a condition called “oxidative stress” develops. To counteract oxidative stress, the body has protective antioxidant mechanisms, which aid in lowering the incidence of various human morbidities and mortalities.