“Graphene” The New Addition in Dental Materials- A Narrative Review

“Graphene” The New Addition in Dental Materials- A Narrative Review

Sathvika Ambati1, Lakshmana Rao Bathala2, Sudheer K3, Swathi Devi E4, Bhanu prasad K5, Jaya Lakshmi K6

1,4,5,6 - Postgraduate student, Department of Prosthodontics, Lenora Institute of Dental Sciences, YSR University, Andhra Pradesh.

2 - Professor & Head, Department of Prosthodontics, Lenora Institute of Dental Sciences, YSR University, Andhra Pradesh.

3- Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, Lenora Institute of Dental Sciences, YSR University, Andhra Pradesh.

Introduction:

The dentists are always welcoming newer technology and new materials into their clinical practice. Though the existing materials are having good properties, still having few disadvantages. Hence the new material with good properties always will get scope to use in day-to-day dental practice. One such new entry into dentistry is Graphene material.

Novoselov KS and Geim AK discovered the Graphene material isolated using mechanical exfoliation by using sticky tape and in 2010, they received Noble prize.Graphene is a carbon sheet with hexagonal in nature having honeycomb structure with two dimensional (2D) crystalline material. [1]

The key feature of Graphene includes the high mechanical strength of 1100GPa, very light weight of 0.77milligrams per square meter (a paper is 1000 times heavier than the graphene) with highly flexible property. The breaking strength of 42N m1, huge surface area to mass ratio is 2630m2/g, 130 giga pascals of tensile strength. These peculiar properties of graphene material made this material which may occupy better place in the clinical dental practice.  Graphene available in four categories to use in dentistry for different treatments. They are 1. single -layer graphene, 2. few-layered graphene, 3. graphene oxide (GO) and 4. reduced graphene oxide (Rgo).[2]