[Biomaterials and infection in dental and maxillofacial surgery]

Based on metals, polymers, ceramics, carbons or natural products, biomaterials represent an essential contribution to the repair or reconstruction of the hard or soft tissues of the dental and maxillofacial area. In order to avoid unsuccessful results these materials should realize a satisfactory tissue integration without bacterial colonization able to compromise the tissue-biomaterial finalized cooperation. The evolution of the science and technology of biomaterials should allow to get tissue toxicity-free materials which also inhibit microorganisms adherence, the infectability becoming a criteria as important as the biocompatibility itself.