Latest Trends in Surface Modification for Dental Implantology: Innovative Developments and Analytical Applications

Abstract

An increase in the world population and its life expectancy, as well as the ongoing concern about our physical appearance, have elevated the relevance of dental implantology in recent decades. Engineering strategies to improve the survival rate of dental implants have been widely investigated, focusing on implant material composition, geometry (usually guided to reduce stiffness), and interface surrounding tissues. Although efforts to develop different implant surface modifications are being applied in commercial dental prostheses today, the inclusion of surface coatings has gained special interest, as they can be tailored to efficiently enhance osseointegration, as well as to reduce bacterial-related infection, minimizing peri-implantitis appearance and its associated risks. The use of biomaterials to replace teeth has highlighted the need for the development of reliable analytical methods to assess the therapeutic benefits of implants. This literature review considers the state-of-the-art strategies for surface modification or coating and analytical methodologies for increasing the survival rate for teeth restoration.

Novel Utilization of Therapeutic Coatings Based on Infiltrated Encapsulated Rose Bengal Microspheres in Porous Titanium for Implant Applications

“…Results confirmed the appropriate use of microparticles instead of a continuous layer of bulk PCL to perform the bioactivity of this porous titanium substrate that has previously been shown to prompt bone healing [38,40,52]. It is well known that hydroxyapatite (HA) is the stable biological mineral form of calcium apatite that triggers osteoblast activity for bone generation [4,53,54]. Therefore, the investigation of the potential of a material to induce HA growth onto its surface is a determining factor to estimate the capacity this material presents to promote osseointegration.…”

“…The loading of the drug into the microparticulate and sintered network resulted in a significant prolonged in vitro release, providing an antimicrobial effect against MDR strains in dark conditions, or PDT therapy, for 5 days. It is well known that hydroxyapatite (HA) is the stable biological mineral form of calcium apatite that triggers osteoblast activity for bone generation [4,53,54]. Therefore, the investigation of the potential of a material to induce HA growth onto its surface is a determining factor to estimate the capacity this material presents to promote osseointegration.…”

“…Although the search for new strategies to implement clinical implant performance continues to be a challenge for the scientific community, the use of porous titanium implants to resolve the stress shielding phenomenon arises as a widely accepted approximation. In this sense, the selection of the content, size, and degree of interconnectivity of the pores is critical not only to guarantee the biomechanical requirements but also to allow the growth of the bone toward the interior of the implant or effective infiltrations of coatings for therapeutic purposes [4].…”

“…Taking into account all these facts, several biodegradable dental implant coatings for controlled and targeted drug delivery have been evaluated as a therapeutic approach, since the elution time of the drug into the oral cavity is affected by the surface topographies of the devices and the amount of drug loaded [4]. In this sense, microspheres showed several advantages as a tailored strategy for biomedical purposes when compared to other formulations.…”

Biomimetic Implant Surfaces and Their Role in Biological Integration—A Concise Review

“…The implant geometry has continuously changed and evolved over the years. Numerous reports have shown that the macro geometry of implants can affect the osseointegration process, such as good primary stability, implant sealing, and maintenance of marginal bone level [ 49 , 50 , 51 ].…”