Biosynthesised silver nanoparticles from fungi as antimicrobial agents for endo-perio lesions – A review

Abstract

Even after rapid development in the treatment modalities and contemporary dental practice, still we encounter the failures due to endodontic, periodontal or combined lesions. Complete elimination of bacteria is the key for successful treatment. The emerging new microorganisms, increase in the number of resistant microbial strains and complexity of the tooth system demands the development of new treatment strategies to control the disease process and to achieve high success rate. Silver nanoparticles (AgNps) are considered to be the best antimicrobial agents because of their unique mode of action, broad spectrum of activity and biocompatibility. Concern has been raised on the toxicity of chemical agents used in AgNps synthesis. Compared with the synthetic methods, biological methods provide a novel idea for the production of nano-materials. Therefore, nanotechnology rather biosynthesized nanoparticles is the field of interest for research. This review article highlights the application of biosynthesised AgNps produced from fungi as antimicrobial agents for endodontic, periodontal or combined lesions. © 2016 Kiran et al.