Chitosan-silica porous hybrids were prepared by a novel strategy in order to improve the mechanical properties of chitosan (CHT) in the hydrogel state. The inorganic silica phase was introduced by sol-gel reactions in acidic medium inside the pores of already prepared porous scaffolds. In order to make the scaffolds insoluble in acidic media chitosan was cross-linked by genipin (GEN) with an optimum GEN concentration of 3.2 wt.%. Sol-gel reactions took place with Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) acting as silica precursors. GPTMS served also as a coupling agent between the free amino groups of chitosan and the silica network. The morphology study of the composite revealed that the silica phase appears as a layer covering the chitosan membrane pore walls. The mechanical properties of the hybrids were characterized by means of compressive stress-strain measurements. By immersion in water the hybrids exhibit an increase in elastic modulus up to two orders of magnitude.
(1) It is estimated that 10% of the world’s population will need a dental implant in their lifetime. Despite all the advances in the comprehension of dental implant designs, materials and techniques, traditional implants still have many limitations. Customized root-analogue implants are, therefore, gaining increased interest in dental rehabilitation and are expected to not only preserve more hard and soft tissues but also avoid a second surgery and improve patient overall satisfaction. In this sense, the aim of this review was to collect and analyse the clinical trials and case reports on customized root-analogue implants available in the literature; (2) This review was carried out according to the PRISMA Statement. An electronic database search was performed using five databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline, Science Direct, and Scopus. The following keywords were used for gathering data: custom-made, dental implants, root-analogue, anatomical, customized and tooth-like; (3) 15 articles meeting the inclusion criteria—articles reporting clinical trials, case reports or animal studies and articles with root-analogue implants and articles with totally customized implant geometries—were selected for the qualitative synthesis. The design and manufacturing techniques, implant material and surface treatments were assessed and discussed; (4) The performance of some root-analogue implants with specific features (i.e., macro-retentions) was successful, with no signs of infection, periodontitis nor bleeding during the follow-up periods.
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