Advanced Oral Drug Delivery Systems for Combating and Preventing Paediatric Periodontal Disease

The oral route is the most common route of administration of drugs. Over 90% of all the available marketed pharmaceutical products are oral formulations. Oral drugs are used in different courses of treatment including the prevention of tooth decay. Tooth decay is the permanent damage of the enamel which leads to the formation of cavities. It can be prevented with good oral hygiene and enough fluorides in the body. Fluorides can be administered both topically (toothpastes) and systemically (supplements). Fluoride supplements fall under oral drug delivery systems. They come in the form of tablets, lozenges, and liquids. However, challenges are faced when it comes to oral drug delivery in children. The development of paediatric drugs is a difficult undertaking since many pharmaceutically active compounds have low water solubility, instability, or an unpleasant taste. Children are unable to tolerate bitter or unpleasant-tasting formulations, as well as huge pills and capsules. Due to various biological, biochemical, and physical barriers faced by oral drug delivery systems, new approaches have been developed to address these challenges such as the application of nanotechnology in drug development. Jellies for oral administration on the other hand are a new approach for the delivery of drugs with bitter tastes as well as for age groups such as children and elders. They are clear, translucent, or non-greasy semisolid products that can be used both externally and internally. In-depth, aspects of these factors will be discussed in this review paper including oral dosage forms for paediatrics, tooth decay and its pathogenesis, preventive measures and setbacks of each measure as well as the future perspectives.