New era of plasma dentistry

Plasma, which was coined by Irving Langmuir in 1928, is the fourth physical state after the solid/liquid/gas phases. Low-temperature plasma (LTP) is a contradictory condition that involves high energy with free radicals at near-body temperatures and was developed through engineering in the 1990's. Research on LTP in engineering and medical fields has rapidly developed since the 2000's. LTP can be applied through direct or indirect exposure, and there are advantages to both methods. In the medical field, LTP has been found to exert several effects, such as wound healing, hemostasis and anticancer effects, mainly based on different levels of oxidative stress. In the dental field, studies have been performed on LTP applications for general dental procedures, such as restorative, periodontal and prosthodontic procedures, and for oral cancer treatment. Many studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of LTP. Compared with other organs, the anatomical characteristic of the oral cavity is easy direct observation, which is highly advantageous for clinical applications. Due to its good accessibility and efficiency, plasma dentistry is expected to be applied to various dental applications in clinics in the near future.