Biopharmaceutical Products and Biomaterials of the Amazon Region Used in Dentistry

Abstract

In dentistry, biomaterials are used in restorative procedures, such as dental restorations; in dentures; dental implants; surgical procedures; and endodontic materials. Most dental biomaterials are classified as devices, including filling materials, diagnostic aids, cements, bonding agents, and implants, in addition to mouthwashes. In the field of health, the use of natural products for dental biomaterials and curing diseases has always emphasized, rather than depending on the conventional allopathic medicine. Brazil has an advantage in this market, because it has the greatest biodiversity in the world, especially in the Amazonian Region, and a genetic heritage of great potential for the development of new herbal products, especially in dentistry. Given the growth of products derived from medicinal plants in Brazil, it was necessary to implement a statute that covered the requirements for all medicines and biomaterials to ensure the quality, efficacy, and safety of these products. Thus, researches in dentistry have been developed with the aim of searching for new bioactive principles for the formulation of drugs with different types of applications, capable of acting in both preventive strategies and curative treatments. This has encouraged the use of phytotherapic agents such as Copaifera multijuga, Apis mellifera (propolis), and Libidibia ferrea.