Titanium Dental Implants: An Overview of Applied Nanobiotechnology to Improve Biocompatibility and Prevent Infections

Abstract

This review addresses the different aspects of the use of titanium and its alloys in the production of dental implants, the most common causes of implant failures and the development of improved surfaces capable of stimulating osseointegration and guaranteeing the long-term success of dental implants. Titanium is the main material for the development of dental implants; despite this, different surface modifications are studied aiming to improve the osseointegration process. Nanoscale modifications and the bioactivation of surfaces with biological molecules can promote faster healing when compared to smooth surfaces. Recent studies have also pointed out that gradual changes in the implant, based on the microenvironment of insertion, are factors that may improve the integration of the implant with soft and bone tissues, preventing infections and osseointegration failures. In this context, the understanding that nanobiotechnological surface modifications in titanium dental implants improve the osseointegration process arouses interest in the development of new strategies, which is a highly relevant factor in the production of improved dental materials.

Cytotoxicity of Commercially Pure Titanium (cpTi), Silver-Palladium (Ag-Pd), and Nickel-Chromium (Ni-Cr) Alloys Commonly Used in the Fabrication of Dental Prosthetic Restorations

“…Therefore, the high biocompatibility of cpTi in this study supported its use in the fabrication of dental implants, metallic denture frameworks, and metallic coping for porcelain fused to metal restorations than Ni-Cr alloys as Ti forms an oxide layer that prevents the dissolution of ions unlike Ni in Ni-Cr alloy [ 26 , 27 ].…”

Evaluation of the Biocompatibility and Osteogenic Properties of Metal Oxide Coatings Applied by Magnetron Sputtering as Potential Biofunctional Surface Modifications for Orthopedic Implants

“…In the orthopedic and dental fields, different efforts have been done to develop improved biomaterials capable of fulfilling the different requirements for their use as temporal osteosynthesis implants to treat bone fractures or critical bone defects [ 1 , 2 ], or as permanent implants such as knee total replacement prosthesis or dental implants [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ].…”

The Influence of rhBMP-7 Associated with Nanometric Hydroxyapatite Coatings Titanium Implant on the Osseointegration: A Pre-Clinical Study

“…In order to increase the bone-to-implant contact (BIC) at the early response stage, several implant design alterations have been attempted [ 5 ]. Following mechanical-chemical treatments [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ], calcium phosphate implant surface coatings [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ], and the association with peptide growth factors (bone morphogenetic proteins) have been investigated, aiming at a faster osseointegration process [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”