ANTIBACTERIAL EFFECTS OF SILVER NANO PARTICLES IN DENTAL COMPOSITES; A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have attracted interest given their highly effective as antibacterial agents and as a promising material in dental composites. This systematic review includes the assessment of antibacterial properties of AgNPs incorporated in dental composites. The databases used in the search were PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science with specific focus on articles published between January 2010 and June 2024 using indexing terms that included; ‘silver nanoparticles,” dental composites,” and “antibacterial effects. ” The articles included in the analysis met the following; they assessed the antibacterial effectiveness of AgNPs in dental composites against oral bacteria. Thus, the review included 20 studies. It is established from the results that dental composites containing AgNPs has better antibacterial properties over the conventional composites especially against SM and LA. Additionally, the enhancing properties of AgNPs were not observed to bring about any negligence to the mechanical properties of the composites, hence their usability in clinical practices. Nevertheless, differences in the size, concentration, and dispersion techniques used among the studies imply that there are existing gaps that require more standardization on aspects such as the size, concentration, and method of distribution of nanoparticles. The review adds that, although AgNPs could effectively decrease bacterial colonization and secondary caries, more studies are required to determine the enhancement of AgNPs incorporation into dental composites and the possible long-term safety of the nanomaterial.