*Corresponding Author: Eda Sumalatha, Senior Lecturer, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Lenora Institute of Dental Sciences, Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, 533294, India.

Received: September 15, 2026; Published: October 05, 2026

Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF) is a potentially malignant disorder affecting the oral cavity, oropharynx, nasopharynx and esophagus. It is a chronic, progressive, scarring disease highly prevalent among the people of South-East Asian origin which is characterized by juxta-epithelial inflammatory reaction in the oral mucosa, followed by fibro-elastic transformation of the lamina propria. This results in mucosal atrophy, burning sensation, rigidity, impaired oral function and trismus. Conventional drug delivery for treating Oral Submucous Fibrosis range from Corticosteroids, Hyaluronidase, minerals, micronutrients and antioxidants to surgical and laser therapies in severe conditions. While traditional drug delivery systems work, they are limited by factors like drug bioavailability, non-compliance of the patient and adverse effects caused due to continuous injections and steroid therapy. However other recent modalities like Nanotechnology based approach using micro RNAs, Immuno-modulatory strategies like Macrophage polarization and Cytokine modulation and Mucoadhesive drug delivery systems comprising Oral patches, Hydrogels and Microneedles are in pipeline. The present narrative review summarizes various treatment modalities in the management of OSMF emphasizing the newer drug delivery systems.

Keywords: Hyaluronidase; Hydrogels; Macrophage Polarization; Microneedles; Oral Submucous Fibrosis

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Citation

Citation: Eda Sumalatha. et al. “Newer Drug Delivery Systems in Treating Oral Submucous Fibrosis: A Narrative Review". Acta Scientific Dental Sciences 10.10 (2026): 52-60.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Eda Sumalatha. et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.