Ozone applications in dentistry: an overview

Ozone therapy has been successfully used in the medical field for treatment of various diseases, for more than 100 years. Researches have shown the efficacy of both gaseous and dissolved ozone in eradicating a wide range of bacteria, bacterial spores and viruses. Ozone could also help in healing wounds, treatment of radiation-induced mucositis and osteoradionecrosis by increasing the blood supply and through modulation of inflammatory mediators. Despite of these advantages, therapeutic ozone’s application in dentistry is limited because of its possible side effects on upper respiratory system. Dental practitioners need to know the proper usage of modern pharmaceutical methods like ozone, that can provide better patient care and considerably cut down the time and cost of treatment.