Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Nano-robots have been considered as one of the most significant developments and achievements of nanotechnology in

medicine and medical sciences. “Nano-robots” are deemed controllable devices at the size of nanometer. Owing to their

diverse capabilities and potentials, “Nano-robots” are widely used to perform different tasks, for instance inspections and

operations, treatment of diseases and maladies in the human body, and nowadays, delivery of drugs to divergent targets like

cancer cells. Similarly, “Nano-robots” used in dental medicine – known as Dental Robots (DR) – could fulfill various tasks

including: inducing local anaesthesia, curing hypersensitivity, re-naturalizing dentition, destroying caries-causing bacteria,

repairing tooth blemishes, and so forth at oral cavity level. DRs have a nano-computer which accomplishes planned missions,

receives and processes signals, communicates with other nano-computers, responds to external monitoring devices and finally

has the potential to ensure proper functioning of nano-mechanical machines. DRs might also use a certain motility mechanism

to penetrate human dental tissues with navigation precision and receive energy to manipulate their surrounding in real time.

The nano-robots are mostly invisible to the naked eye, thus they are visualized by advanced machinery like “Scanning Electron

Microscopy (SEM)” and “Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)”.Although research and clinical trials on nano-robots are in their

early stage, it is believed that nano-robots will be the next huge revolution in the world of Dentistry. However, it may also

present a risk for misuse. Time, economics, technical strategies and human needs will direct and determine the route this

innovative invention may take.

Dental and Oral Health