Nano-Toothbrush for Noninvasive Control of Periodontitis

Abstract

Periodontitis is a prevalent oral disease, and current clinical management remains limited to mechanical debridement of subgingival plaque and adjunctive antibiotic therapy. In this study, we introduced a piezocatalytic nanoparticle-constructed “nano-toothbrush” as a noninvasive strategy for oral biofilm removal. The dextran-mediated biofilm affinity of the nano-toothbrush induced localized oxidative stress under ultrasound irradiation, effectively disrupting biofilms and inhibiting pathogenic bacteria. This efficacy was evidenced by the removal of ex vivo biofilms from periodontitis patients. Importantly, the selective action of the nano-toothbrush minimized the damage to mouse fibroblasts and human immortalized oral epithelial cells, affirming its biosafety. In vivo studies showed that the nano-toothbrush significantly inhibited the cell viability of Porphyromonas gingivalis , effectively suppressed alveolar bone resorption, and alleviated inflammatory responses in a rat periodontitis model while concurrently preserving the diversity of the oral microbiome. This study presents a promising noninvasive and precise method for the removal of oral biofilms, offering new perspectives on the application of nanotherapeutics in the treatment of periodontitis and other plaque-induced diseases.