Oral Motion-Powered Smart Dental Implant Abutment for In Situ Antibacterial and Cell Adhesion Through Piezoelectric...

The long-term clinical success of dental implants is critically dependent on achieving stable soft-tissue integration while preventing bacterial colonization and subsequent peri-implantitis. Piezoelectric biomaterials offer a route to address this challenge, yet the potential to harness ambient oral motions (e.g., mastication) as a continuous power source for autonomous therapeutic action remains largely unexplored. Here, we report a motion-activated smart dental implant abutment (SDIA) constructed from a toughened piezoelectric composite comprising a 3D interconnected barium titanate (BaTiO₃) ceramic framework infiltrated with a high-strength polymer matrix. This architecture imparts exceptional flexural strength and fracture toughness via polymer-mediated crack deflection. Under simulated oral pressure, the SDIA demonstrates efficient biomechanical-to-electrical energy conversion, driving a potent piezo-catalytic effect that generates sufficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) to eradicate 96.5% of E. coli and 89.7% of S. aureus, and robustly inhibits biofilm formation. Concurrently, the motion-induced electrical cues directly modulate fibroblast behavior by upregulating the MAPK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways, substantially enhancing cell adhesion and proliferation. This work establishes a new paradigm for smart biomaterials, demonstrating that harnessing natural physiological motion can power autonomous implants capable of delivering synergistic antibacterial and regenerative therapies to prevent clinical device failure.