Ozone applications in dentistry: A review

Abstract

Ozone (O₃) therapy has been applied in medicine and dentistry for many years and has become increasingly widespread. Ozone, composed of three oxygen atoms (O₃), is a strong antioxidant and a highly effective antimicrobial agent. Ozone gas has high oxidizing properties and exhibits a 1.5-fold higher antimicrobial effect than chloride. Its use has become popular in many fields of dentistry in recent years, owing to its various properties. It is categorized as one of the non-invasive, atraumatic, protective, and preventive treatment modalities that have been improved by modern dentistry, and its acceptability among patients has increased as a result. Ozone is an antimicrobial, analgesic, and biosynthetic agent that stimulates the immune system, enhances blood circulation capacity, and positively affects oxygen transport mechanisms. It influences both cellular and humoral immunity. All three forms of ozone (gaseous, oil, and solution) can be used in dentistry. It is indicated for the treatment of approximately 300 different pathological conditions. Ozone is used in endodontics (irrigation solution, intracanal medicament, abscess cases, disinfection), periodontology (gingivitis, periodontitis, periimplantitis, surgical injuries, prophylaxis), oral pathology (stomatitis, aphthous ulceration, candidiasis, herpes lesions), oral, dental, and jaw surgery (implantation, reimplantation, simple-to-complicated tooth extraction, homeostasis, wound healing, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery, osteonecrosis cases), prosthetic dental treatment (disinfection of fixed and removable prostheses), restorative dental treatment (caries lesions, dentine hypersensitivity, cracked tooth, bleaching), orthodontics (remineralization and prophylaxis of white spot lesions), pedodontics (caries lesions, root canal treatment, positive psychological impact, short treatment duration), and sterilization of dental instruments and units. This review aimed to describe the usage fields and effects of ozone in dental applications, provide insights into clinical practices in other fields of dentistry, and introduce newly conducted in vitro and in vivo studies.