Dental implants covered with synthetic bone

Some researchers will have the opportunity to publish a study on dental coatings in the next issue of the International Journal of Nanomanufacturing. Titanium is the most used material in many dental implants, however its surface is typically inert: this makes it biocompatible and favored to avoid adverse reactions of the immune system, but it is not bioactive and therefore does not help the integration of bone tissue nor of the proliferation of blood vessels. The dichotomy explained here has been addressed and has led to the description of a synthetic bone tissue, formed by hydroxyapatite reinforced with tiny glass fragments. Professor JD Santos of the Biomedical Engineering Institute in Porto evaluated the presence of this coating on seven patients with a total of 27 implants 10mm long and almost 4mm wide; the connection of the first 18 was made to the maxilla, while the last 9 to the mandibular level. An X-ray evaluation made by the team at both three and six months demonstrated an effective increase in the bioactivity of the implant, however in only one case was forced removal required. The researchers say they are completely satisfied because in any case it was due to a bad positioning, not to an interaction of the material. [via nanowerk | dogfightink pics ]