A Review of Hydroxapatite and its use as a Coating in Dental Implants

At present, no standard manufacturing guideline exists for depositing hydroxyapatite (HA) on implant surfaces. Although animal and in vitro studies have reported on the benefits of using HA-coated implants as well as the risks of dissolution, these short-term studies did not demonstrate that the dissolution of the HA coating leads to a loss of implants. In addition, many in vivo and clinical studies did not include the chemical and structural characterization of the coatings, and thus comparisons between studies are difficult. In the clinics, the recommendation is that HA-coated screw implants be used for the anterior maxilla and posterior mandible where the bone depth exceeds 10 mm and when the cortical layer is thinner and spongiosia is less dense. In the posterior maxilla or when the cortical layer is very thin with low density, the use of HA-coated cylindrical implants is recommended. However, there are concerns for using HA-coated implants. The clinician needs to take into consideration the enhanced bacterial susceptibility of HA coatings compared with titanium implants. In addition, the clinician needs to consider the possible failure of HA coatings as a result of coating-substrate interfacial fracture. Finally, besides the surgical skills, it is also important that the clinical investigators be well versed with the materials characterization needed for HA-coated implants, the problems associated with the current HA coatings, and the indications for use. In addition, the correlation between well characterized coatings and their effect on bone formation rate and long-term implant success, coating-implant interfacial strength, and alternative superior coating process need to be investigated further.