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Updated: Jul 17, 2025
Oral Biofilm Formation on Different Materials for Dental Implants
Published on: June 24, 2018
Piranha-etched titanium nanostructure reduces biofilm formation in vitro
Khaled Mukaddam1, Monika Astasov-Frauenhoffer2, Elizaveta Fasler-Kan3
1Department of Oral Surgery, University Center for Dental Medicine Basel (UZB), University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 40, 4058, Basel, Switzerland. khaled.mukaddam@unibas.ch.
Objectives:
Nano-modified surfaces for dental implants may improve gingival fibroblast adhesion and antibacterial characteristics through cell-surface interactions. The present study investigated how a nanocavity titanium surface impacts the viability and adhesion of human gingival fibroblasts (HGF-1) and compared its response to Porphyromonas gingivalis with those of marketed implant surfaces.
Material And Methods:
Commercial titanium and zirconia disks, namely, sandblasted and acid-etched titanium (SLA), sandblasted and acid-etched zirconia (ZLA), polished titanium (PT) and polished zirconia (ZrP), and nanostructured disks (NTDs) were tested. Polished titanium disks were etched with a 1:1 combination of 98% H2SO4 and 30% H2O2 (piranha etching) for 5 h at room temperature to produce the NTDs. Atomic force microscopy was used to measure the surface topography, roughness, adhesion force, and work of adhesion. MTT assays and immunofluorescence staining were used to examine cell viability and adhesion after incubation of HGF-1 cells on the disk surfaces. After incubation with P. gingivalis, conventional culture, live/dead staining, and SEM were used to determine the antibacterial properties of NTD, SLA, ZLA, PT, and ZrP.
Results:
Etching created nanocavities with 10-20-nm edge-to-edge diameters. Chemical etching increased the average surface roughness and decreased the surface adherence, while polishing and flattening of ZrP increased adhesion. However, only the NTDs inhibited biofilm formation and bacterial adherence. The NTDs showed antibacterial effects and P. gingivalis vitality reductions. The HGF-1 cells demonstrated greater viability on the NTDs compared to the controls.
Conclusion:
Nanocavities with 10-20-nm edge-to-edge diameters on titanium disks hindered P. gingivalis adhesion and supported the adhesion of gingival fibroblasts when compared to the surfaces of currently marketed titanium or zirconia dental implants.
Clinical Relevance:
This study prepared an effective antibacterial nanoporous surface, assessed its effects against oral pathogens, and demonstrated that surface characteristics on a nanoscale level influenced oral pathogens and gingival fibroblasts.
Clinical Trial Registration:
not applicable.
