Application of Plasma-Sprayed Zirconia Coating in Dental Implants: Study in Implants

Abstract

The aim of this study was to clarify whether marginal grooves on dental implants affect osseointegration, bone structure, and the alignment of collagen fibers to determine bone quality under loaded conditions. Anodized Ti-6Al-4V alloy dental implants, with and without marginal grooves (test and control implants, respectively), were used (3.7 × 8.0 mm). Fourth premolars and first molars of 6 beagle mandibles were extracted. Two control and test implants were placed in randomly selected healed sites at 12 weeks after tooth extraction. Screw-retained single crowns for first molars were fabricated. Euthanasia was performed at 8 weeks after the application of occlusal forces. Implant marginal bone level, bone to implant contact (BIC), bone structure around dental implants, and the alignment of collagen fibers determining bone quality were analyzed. The marginal bone level in test implants was significantly higher than that in control implants. Occlusal forces significantly increased BIC in test implants ( P = .007), whereas BIC did not change in control implants, irrespective of occlusal forces ( P = .303). Moreover, occlusal forces significantly increased BIC in test implants compared with control implants ( P = .032). Additionally, occlusal forces preferentially aligned collagen fibers in test implants, but not control implants. Hence, marginal grooves on dental implants have positive effects on increased osseointegration and adapted bone quality based on the preferential alignment of collagen fibers around dental implants under loaded conditions.

Construction of functional surfaces for dental implants to enhance osseointegration

“…This method always creates a surface with micro-scale roughness. For example, plasma-sprayed HA coating shows an average surface roughness of about 1.06 μm ( Ferraz et al, 2001 ; Giavaresi et al, 2003 ), and plasma-sprayed ZrO 2 coating presents a roughness of about 1.58 µm ( Huang et al, 2018b ), which are better suitable for osseointegration than uncoated implants. Using the plasma-sprayed method combines with the vapor-induced pore-forming technique, a rough and porous HA coating could be effectively fabricated.…”

Customized Therapeutic Surface Coatings for Dental Implants

“…In a recent study, Huang et al [321] compared the plasma-sprayed nanostructured ZrO 2 -coated Ti implants and reported the superior osseointegration of plasma-sprayed ZrO 2 implant coatings in all quantified parameters [321]. They also claimed an increased number of osteoblastic attachments on ZrO 2 -coated implants in the early stages.…”

Zirconia Hybrid Dental Implants Influence the Biological Properties of Neural Crest-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

“…Among possible candidates, zirconia has been revealed as a highly promising substitute for replacing titanium implants, mainly due to a higher resistance to pitting high mechanical loads and a low propensity to bacterial biofilm formation [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Interestingly, several zirconia-based coatings have been recently explored, showing suitable morphological, nanomechanical and tribological properties as well as an absence of cytotoxicity [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. In addition, recent findings highlighted that zirconia proved to have a good biocompatibility due to the limited inflammatory response and bone loss when compared to titanium implants [ 19 , 20 ].…”