Il sistema endocannabinoide: Attuali conoscenze e potenziali applicazioni in odontostomatologia

Objectives: To describe the physiological and molecular processes involved in the endocannabinoid system, to analyze the different types of pharmacological approaches used to modulate its function, and to examine the implications of this system in the pathogenesis of several oral pathologies. Materials and methods: We selected and analyzed relevant papers from the international literature on the physiology and pharmacodynamics of endocannabinoids and their synthetic analogues. This review examines the most significant experimental data regarding the therapeutic potential of these substances in clinical dentistry and stomatology (e.g., in the treatment and prevention of periodontal disease and in oral implant surgery). Results and conclusions: Pharmacological modulation of the endocannabinoid system and other related neuroendocrine systems can produce interesting therapeutic effects in dentistry and oral surgery, including analgesia, anti-inflammatory actions, and systemic and localized modulation of bone metabolism. The breadth of their clinical applications depends largely on clinica di tali strumenti farmacologici risulterà tanto più ampia quanto maggiore sarà la loro capacità di evitare gli effetti indesiderati deri-vanti dall'attivazione dei recettori cannabinoidi. the prevention of the side effects related to can-nabinoid receptor activation.