Surface Modifications of Dental Implants for Enhanced Antimicrobial Properties: A Literature Review
Yuval Reiser 1
, Marko Vuletic2
and Dragana Gabric2*
1School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb, , Zagreb, Croatia .
2Department of Oral Surgery, School of Dental Medicine, University of Zagreb; Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb, University Dental Clinic, Zagreb Croatia .
Corresponding author Email: dgabric@sfzg.hr
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/EDJ.07.0102.04
Dental implants are widely used in modern dentistry for tooth replacement, but bacterial infections such as peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis remain significant causes of implant failure. This literature review evaluates the effectiveness of surface modifications and antimicrobial coatings in reducing bacterial colonization and infection on dental implants. A comprehensive search of PubMed and Google Scholar identified 70 relevant studies, of which 56 met the inclusion criteria. The review highlights the use of antimicrobial agents such as silver, zinc, copper, fluorine, and chlorhexidine, as well as surface modifications like dendrimers, titanium dioxide photocatalysts, and ultraviolet treatment. These strategies enhance antimicrobial properties by generating reactive oxygen species, creating super-hydrophilic surfaces, and altering surface characteristics such as roughness, hydrophobicity, charge, and crystalline phase. The findings suggest that these approaches significantly reduce bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, thereby improving implant success rates. However, further research is needed to assess the long-term clinical performance and stability of these modifications. This review highlights the crucial role of combining advanced surface modification techniques with antimicrobial approaches to improve the performance and safety of dental implants.
Copy the following to cite this article:
Reiser Y, Vuletic M, Gabric D. Surface Modifications of Dental Implants for Enhanced Antimicrobial Properties: A Literature Review. Enviro Dental Journal 2025; 7(1).
DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/EDJ.07.0102.04Copy the following to cite this URL:
Reiser Y, Vuletic M, Gabric D. Surface Modifications of Dental Implants for Enhanced Antimicrobial Properties: A Literature Review. Enviro Dental Journal 2025; 7(1).Avialable here: https://bit.ly/3Mn1WDE
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