title: Zinc: A precious trace element for oral health care?
abstract: This review will discuss the importance of Zinc in the maintenance of oral health. Zinc (Zn) is a trace element of valuable importance. In the oral cavity, it is naturally present at various sites such as dental plaque, dental hard tissues and saliva. It is proven to be effective against common prevalent oral health problems such as dental caries, gingivitis, periodontitis and malodour. It is being used in various oral health care products to control the formation of dental plaque and inhibiting the formation of dental calculus. It has the potential to sustain and maintain its elevated concentrations for a longer time particularly in the dental plaque and saliva on delivery from the mouth rinses and toothpastes. It has been reported that low concentrations of zinc have the capability to reduce dissolution and promote remineralization under caries simulating conditions. Most importantly low Zn2+ levels in the serum are useful as a tumour marker. Thus taking a note of its potentials, it can be concluded that zinc is a precious element for the maintenance of oral health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Tayyaba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fatima
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Zubaidah Binti
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Haji Abdul Rahim
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic & Integrated Dental Practice, Faculty of Dentistry, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Chai Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Zeeshan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qamar
mesh_terms: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000517:prevention & control; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000188:drug therapy; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000737:chemistry; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000737:chemistry / Q000188:drug therapy; D003804:Dentin / Q000737:chemistry; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000188:drug therapy; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D009067:Mouthwashes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009909:Oral Health; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D014100:Toothpastes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D009067:Mouthwashes; D014100:Toothpastes; D014131:Trace Elements; D015032:Zinc
keywords: Zinc, Oral Healthcare, Oral Diseases.