Influence of surface topographic morphologies and nanoparticle incorporation on surface properties of pure Ti implants for oral applications

One common problem in using titanium (Ti) dental implants is peri-implantitis. To prevent peri-implantitis on Ti implants in an oral environment, we introduced novel topographic microstructures onto the surfaces of pure Ti implants via sandblasting, acid etching, and hydrothermal treatment before adding ZnO nanocomposite coatings and TiO2 nanocomposite coatings via magnetron sputtering. We comprehensively investigated the influence of surface topographic morphologies and elemental composition of coatings on the physicochemical properties and antibacterial efficacy of the specimens. Our results indicate that the novel topographic surfaces and magnetron sputtered coatings both exhibit good cytocompatibility. Our results also suggest that coating composition, rather than surface topographic morphology, is the primary factor influencing the antibacterial performance of Ti implants. Therefore, the magnetron sputtering of ZnO and TiO2 coatings onto surfaces can be an effective technique for improving the antibacterial properties of Ti implants for oral applications.