Copper Nanoparticles in Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics- A New Frontier in Antimicrobial Innovation: A Comprehensive Review
F. Zahrah Fathima
Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, SRM Kattankulathur Dental College and Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu, 603 203, Tamil Nadu, India.
T. Vinay Kumar Reddy *
Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, SRM Kattankulathur Dental College and Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu, 603 203, Tamil Nadu, India.
K. Vijay Venkatesh
Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, SRM Kattankulathur Dental College and Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu, 603 203, Tamil Nadu, India.
B. Shyam
Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, SRM Kattankulathur Dental College and Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu, 603 203, Tamil Nadu, India.
Seetha Kunhikannan
Department of Pharmacovigilance Specialists, Chennai One IT Park, Thoraipakkam, Chennai, 600 097, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising field in restorative and endodontic dentistry, with copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) attracting considerable attention due to their affordability, wide-spectrum antimicrobial activity, and compatibility with dental materials. This narrative review compiles the current literature on the fundamentals, synthesis, characterisation and antimicrobial mechanisms of copper nanoparticles with particular emphasis on applications in conservative dentistry and endodontics. Copper nanoparticles are known to exert antimicrobial properties via membrane disruption, generation of reactive oxygen species, protein dysfunction and nucleic acid damage. They are effective against important pathogens like Streptococcus mutans and Enterococcus faecalis. When incorporated into restorative composites, dentin bonding adhesives, intracanal medicaments, irrigant adjuncts, root canal sealers, and gutta-percha coatings, they have demonstrated the potential to confer antimicrobial benefits while largely preserving mechanical and physicochemical properties at optimised concentrations. The narrow therapeutic window between antimicrobial efficacy and cytotoxicity, the heterogeneity of the studies performed, and the limited clinical-trial data suggest that copper-nanoparticle-based materials remain preclinical, behind more established silver- and zinc-oxide-based materials. The review emphasizes the requirement for standardised protocols for the synthesis and testing of these particles, and well-designed clinical studies before copper nanoparticles can be considered for routine clinical use in conservative and endodontic practice.
Keywords: Copper nanoparticles, copper oxide nanoparticles, antimicrobial activity, conservative dentistry, endodontics, root canal sealers, dental composites, Enterococcus faecalis