Nanotechnology of graphene applied to dentistry

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, humanity has witnessed exponential growth, both technological and scientific; we can say that we have taken giant steps which have unquestionably influenced the lives of people as individuals and societies as a whole. Scientists, erudite in their task, were concerned with the investigation, study, and implementation of precise theories on the matter to create the most intelligent materials, pursuing without delay those that could imitate nature as accurately as possible, thus being disruptive and marking a before and after in their evolution.

However, it was not until the early twentieth century, when the scientist Richard Feynman held the theory of manipulation of individual atoms and molecules, using the precision tools that allowed him to build, in turn, another set of tools of lesser proportion to reach the atomic scale and thus give, in the first place, with the origin of eminent engineering of molecular systems that we know today with the name of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has a multitude of possibilities and applications, perhaps the most remarkable is the case it offers us to work at a molecular level the materials, changing their physical and chemical properties concerning the same material but of a more significant size; this does not mean anything else that thanks to nanotechnology we can significantly improve the performance of materials in extreme conditions; therefore, these will guarantee a determinant performance in their different areas of use, such as construction, medicine, electronics, computing, etc. Dentistry, of course, is no exception, and it is not escaping this revolution and is about to take a profound leap forward in our contemporary era.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the most influential researchers in the various scientific disciplines allied themselves with a common goal: to make creations that imitate nature. They worked tirelessly, with sublime insight, to offer contrasting solutions, capable of creating an endless number of materials with truly extraordinary properties, self-repairing fabrics, superhydrophobic fabrics, etc. Textiles inspired by nature (bio-inspired) offer us reliable and proven solutions to the challenges the environment imposes on the organisms that assimilate them. In addition, scientists and engineers are motivated by compounds that have emerged from years of evolution to create new materials and surfaces with unique properties.

Due to the spectacular development of specific techniques that allow us to know and work with the matter on a nanometric scale, scientists can first access and discover nature's best-kept secrets and thus illuminate novel materials with functionalities never before foreseen. In this way, the evolutionary science of the human being demonstrates that the anatomical form of our body corresponds with mathematical exactitude to the functions that are performed; in other words, each of the parts of our body, as if it were a perfect gear, is designed in form and density to allow a biomechanical function.

Nanotechnology is an incomprehensible concept, but one of great relevance to our daily lives, which for most people goes unnoticed, but its effect, nowadays, is a reality. Therefore, the emergence of nanotechnology, such as graphene, on the dental world scene is a significant event, giving us the unprecedented potential to create, control, model, and design new materials, as well as to obtain the desired result.

Nanotechnology is here to stay, challenging the structure of today's world as the key that opens the doors to a new universe, in which vital elements from all fields of knowledge converge, generating spaces that interrelate technologies, seeking to influence, affect and benefit the essential processes of human beings, providing unprecedented benefits to more humane and sustainable dentistry. However, to take advantage of nanotechnology, an adequate implementation must be carried out to allow these new technologies to be adapted to the real needs of today's dentistry and to create synergy between clinicians, researchers, dental technicians, and our patients, starting from the current needs of today's dentistry, to articulate the technology in such a way that it helps to solve these needs and does not generate unfavorable aspects.