Electrically Stimulated Dental Implants Triggers Soft-Tissue Integration and Bactericidal Functions

Abstract

Modulating cellular functions at the dental implant-tissue interface to augment integration and prevent bacterial ingress is crucial for achieving early stability and long-term implant success. Nano-engineering strategies, such as anodized titanium implants with titania (TiO2) nanotubes/nanopores, are emerging as a promising dental implant surface modification approach to enhance integration and prevent infection. Achieving on-demand therapy through electrical stimulation therapy (EST, supply of voltage/current to local tissue) may be advantageous but has not been explored for dental implants. Further, anodized implants with TiO2 nanotubes/nanopores represent a semi-conducting modification that can impede EST effectiveness. In this pioneering study, TiO2 nanopores are converted into conducting Ti nanopores to perform EST to achieve superior soft-tissue integration and antibacterial efficacy. In-depth surface characterizations are followed by assays investigating the effect of EST on cultured human salivary biofilm and gingival fibroblasts. Significant bactericidal efficacy is demonstrated for EST (1.5 V for 5 min per day) using Ti nanopores. Further, EST enhanced fibroblast proliferation and collagen secretion. In summary, EST applied to Ti nanoporous implants promotes soft-tissue healing and antibacterial functions and is proposed as a next-generation approach in implant dentistry to achieve on-demand therapy.