Table 1.

Carriers for drug delivery in oral cancer treatment.

Carriers for Drug Delivery	Advantages	Disadvantages	References
Polymeric nanoparticles	Biodegradable and biocompatible Suitable for controlled and sustained drugs release with increased therapeutic efficacy and reduced side effects	Difficult to handle due to particle-particle aggregation Cytotoxic after internalization into cells Not suitable for the release of proteins including antibodies Associated with an immune response or local toxicity upon degradation	[82,83,84,85,86]
Inorganic nanoparticles	Target can be site specific by attaching the ligand to the nanoparticle (e.g., magnetic nanoparticles) Higher photostability compared to organic dyes	Toxicity Limited effective delivery due to limited penetration depth for photothermal therapy Cannot deliver biomacromolecules (e.g., proteins)	[87,88,89]
Nanolipids	Highly stable Provide controlled release of drugs to protect them from chemical degradation Encapsulate and deliver drugs with low aqueous solubility Able to penetrate deeply into tumors Suitable for local delivery of anticancer drugs	Crystalline structure provides limited space to accommodate drugs Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) show initial burst drug release Aggregation or gelling of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) during storage Associated with immune response	[83,90,91,92,93]
Hydrogels	Injectable to a specific site Do not dissolve in water at physiological temperature and pH Maintain their structural integrity and elasticity even after retaining large amounts of water High drug loading capacity Ability to deliver hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs	Poor mechanical properties Difficult to handle Expensive Initial burst	[94,95]