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Updated: Mar 2, 2026
Oral Biofilm Formation on Different Materials for Dental Implants
Published on: June 24, 2018
Microbiota Analysis of Biofilms on Experimental Abutments Mimicking Dental Implants: An In Vivo Model
Berta Cortés-Acha1, Rui Figueiredo1,2, Ramón Seminago3
1Oral Surgery and Implantology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Background:
The microbiota colonizing dental implants has been said to be similar to the microbiome surrounding teeth. In the absence of inflammation, a biofilm with pathologic bacteria can cover implant surfaces exposed to the oral cavity, for example, due to a remodeling process. The aim of the present study is to identify microbiota surrounding exposed dental implants in patients with and without a history of periodontitis through a deep-sequencing approach.
Methods:
An experimental abutment with the same surface and structure as a commercially available dental implant was used. Bacterial DNA was isolated, and the 16S ribosomal RNA gene was amplified and sequenced. Multiplexed tag-encoded sequencing of DNA from the samples was performed, and the reads were processed by metagenomic rapid annotation.
Results:
A wide variety of bacteria, 96 species, were identified. The most frequently found bacteria were Fusobacterium nucleatum and Prevotella denticola. Some species generally associated with periodontitis were found to a greater extent in patients without a history of periodontitis. Some bacteria that have never been described as part of the oral microbiome were identified in the present sample.
Conclusions:
Analysis of data suggests that the bacteria surrounding exposed dental implants form a diverse microbiome regardless of the periodontal profile of patients. Further research is needed to clarify the role of these microorganisms in the oral environment.
