# Applications of Plasma Produced with Electrical Discharges in Gases for Agriculture and Biomedicine
## 3 Review of Plasma Applications in Agriculture and Medicine
### Plasma Application in Biomedicine
#### 3.2.4 Dentistry Applications  
Cold plasma exhibits a great potential for use in dental science. The first LTP application in dentistry was likely associated with sanitisation and disinfection of dental instruments [101; 205]. Clinical equipment containing cold plasma devices or modules does not cause the vibrations, which leads to reduced pain perception by the patient [206]. In addition, the advantages of LTP use in dentistry are pathogenic bacteria degradation and non-inflammatory tissue alteration for dental cavities and composite restorations [207]. Furthermore, in comparison with conventional techniques, such as laser or drills, plasma strengthens the chemical bonding between teeth and fillings.  
Figure 9: LTP tumour treatment by inserting the probe into the tumour core [196].  
In addition, LTP is used for root canal disinfection and tooth bleaching [208]. Table 4 contains the different types of LTP plasma sources and their applications in dental science. Generally, cold plasma treatment processes in dentistry can be divided by their applications:  
* Sterilisation: relies on killing viruses, bacteria, fungus, and bacterial endospores. Its effectiveness depends on plasma gas composition, microbial stain, or driving frequency. It is a well-established technique for the treatment of a wide range of instruments [209, 210].
* Dental caries: using plasma in dental cavities without generation of heat, vibration, or noise. Plasma therapy is considered to be a popular tissue-saving approach for cleaning root canals within the damaged tooth; it generates bactericidal agents locally [211, 212].
* Root canal disinfection: easy-to-use plasma jet devices generate plasma radiation inside the root canal without any pain. Such plasma treatment can effectively kill the bacteria responsible for failures of canal cleaning [213, 214].
* Tooth bleaching: atmospheric pressure plasma used with OH radicals can erase coffee and alcohol staining from extracted teeth [100, 215]. Low-frequency plasma sources in combination with OH can eliminate intrinsic stains [216]. They can also be used for preliminary treatment of deionised water for the target tooth [217].
* Clinical removal of biofilms: LTP makes possible the breaking down of biofilm matrices without harming the tissues [208], removing biofilms from dental implants [212]. It is also useful in decontamination of root canal biofilms and dental slices [213].
* Polymerisation: curing composite resin by using plasma. The LTP brush has already been tested for polymerised self-etch adhesives [214].
* Implant modification: LTP enhances surface roughness and wettability, leading to cell adhesion [218]. Plasma also helps in reducing the angle of implant contact and supports the spread of osteoblastic cells [219].
* Other processes: periodontal disease assistance [220, 221], enhancing of bond strength between fibre-reinforced posts and resin composites for core building [222], mouth wound healing [223], intraoral disease curing, etc. [224].