Physical methods for enhancing oral mucosal delivery: Sonophoresis, iontophoresis and electroporation methods

The need for more rapid onset of action and improved absorption of medications has resulted in great development of drug delivery technologies. Transmucosal drug delivery offers a convenient route of administration for a variety of clinical indications. Unfortunately, the wide variability in structure of the oral mucosal tissues could constitute a key factor in drug penetration and absorption. To circumvent this obstacle and to increase the drug flux through the mucosal membranes, different approaches to permeation enhancement are used. This chapter describes the most significant aspects of the physical techniques widely used such as sonophoresis, iontophoresis, and electroporation. These physical methods are extensively used to enhance drug permeation through the skin, nevertheless, they have some infrequent applications on the mucosae of the oral cavity despite are very promising. In the future, these methods could be further developed and improved.