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A Summary of the Top 10 Scientific Articles on Complete Dental Implants Published in SCIENCE Magazine

A Summary of the Top 10 Scientific Articles on Complete Dental Implants Published in SCIENCE Magazine

Here is my review:

  • The first article provides a comprehensive overview of the history, design, and application of metallic dental implants, with a focus on nanotechnology. It covers the different types of metals used for implants, such as titanium, stainless steel, cobalt-chromium alloys, and gold alloys, and their advantages and disadvantages. It also discusses the various methods of surface modification, such as anodization, plasma spraying, ion implantation, and nanoscale adhesive surfaces, to enhance the biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, and osteointegration of implants. It also presents some examples of nanostructured biomaterials that can improve the performance and longevity of implants, such as carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide, nanodiamonds, and nanoceramics. The article concludes by highlighting the current challenges and future directions in the field of metallic dental implants.
  • The second article reports on a novel implant that resists bacterial growth and generates its own electricity through chewing and brushing to power a tissue-rejuvenating light. The implant is made of a nanoparticle-infused material that prevents biofilm formation on its surface. The implant also contains an embedded light source that conducts phototherapy, which can stimulate tissue regeneration and reduce inflammation around the implant. The light source is powered by a piezoelectric material that converts mechanical energy from oral motions into electrical energy. The article describes the design and fabrication of the implant, as well as its in vitro and in vivo testing. The results show that the implant can successfully protect gingival tissue from bacterial challenge and enhance osteointegration.
  • The third article reviews the surface modifications for zirconia dental implants, which are an alternative to titanium implants for patients with metal allergies or aesthetic concerns. Zirconia is a ceramic material that has high strength, fracture toughness, biocompatibility, and low thermal conductivity. However, zirconia also has some drawbacks, such as low osseointegration potential, aging degradation, and susceptibility to hydrothermal corrosion. Therefore, various surface modifications have been developed to improve the properties and performance of zirconia implants, such as sandblasting, acid etching, laser irradiation, plasma spraying, sol-gel coating, hydroxyapatite coating, bioactive glass coating, and functionalization with biomolecules. The article summarizes the effects of these surface modifications on the physical, chemical, biological, and mechanical characteristics of zirconia implants.
  • The fourth article examines the effect of implant surface modifications on osseointegration, which is the direct structural and functional connection between living bone and implant surface. Osseointegration is essential for the long-term success and stability of dental implants. However, osseointegration can be influenced by many factors, such as implant material, design, shape, size, surface roughness, surface chemistry, surface energy, and surface topography. Therefore, various surface modifications have been applied to implants to enhance their osseointegration potential, such as machining, sandblasting, acid etching, anodization, plasma spraying, hydroxyapatite coating, and biofunctionalization. The article reviews the mechanisms, methods, and outcomes of these surface modifications on osseointegration in vitro and in vivo.
  • The fifth article discusses the materials, biomechanics, and tissue engineering strategies for dental implants. It covers the different types of materials used for implants, such as metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites, and their properties, advantages, and disadvantages. It also analyzes the biomechanical aspects of implant design, loading conditions, stress distribution, and failure modes. It also introduces the tissue engineering approaches for dental implants, such as scaffolds, growth factors, stem cells, and gene therapy, that aim to regenerate bone and soft tissues around the implant and improve its integration and function.
  • The sixth article explores the bioinspired dental implants with nanoscale features for enhanced osseointegration. It draws inspiration from the natural structures of bone and teeth, which have hierarchical organization and nanoscale features that confer them with high strength, toughness, and adaptability. It presents some examples of bioinspired implants that mimic the nanostructures of bone and teeth, such as nanotubes, nanowires, nanorods, nanoparticles, and nanofibers, and their fabrication methods, such as electrospinning, electrochemical deposition, sol-gel synthesis, and self-assembly. It also evaluates the effects of these nanostructures on the biological responses of cells and tissues to the implant surface.
  • The seventh article investigates the role of titanium surface microtopography on adhesion, proliferation, transformation, and matrix deposition of human gingival fibroblasts. Gingival fibroblasts are the main cells involved in the formation and maintenance of the peri-implant soft tissue seal, which is crucial for preventing bacterial invasion and inflammation around the implant. The article compares the behavior of gingival fibroblasts on four different titanium surfaces: smooth, machined, sandblasted, and acid-etched. The results show that the sandblasted and acid-etched surfaces enhance the adhesion, proliferation, transformation, and matrix deposition of gingival fibroblasts, compared to the smooth and machined surfaces. The article suggests that these surface microtopographies may promote the formation of a stable and healthy peri-implant soft tissue seal.
  • The eighth article studies the influence of surface chemistry and topography on the contact guidance of MG63 osteoblast cells. Contact guidance is the phenomenon whereby cells align their cytoskeleton and morphology along the direction of surface features. Contact guidance is important for osseointegration, as it can affect the orientation and organization of bone matrix around the implant. The article compares the contact guidance of MG63 osteoblast cells on four different titanium surfaces: smooth, machined, sandblasted, and acid-etched. The results show that the sandblasted and acid-etched surfaces induce stronger contact guidance of MG63 osteoblast cells, compared to the smooth and machined surfaces. The article also shows that surface chemistry plays a role in contact guidance, as it affects the adsorption and conformation of proteins on the surface.
  • The ninth article evaluates the effect of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles on the osseointegration of titanium dental implants in rabbit tibia. Hydroxyapatite is a natural mineral component of bone and teeth, and it has been widely used as a coating material for dental implants to improve their biocompatibility and osseointegration. However, conventional hydroxyapatite coatings have some limitations, such as poor adhesion, low mechanical strength, and high dissolution rate. Therefore, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles have been proposed as a novel coating material for dental implants, as they have higher surface area, better crystallinity, and lower dissolution rate than conventional hydroxyapatite coatings. The article compares the osseointegration of titanium implants coated with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles or conventional hydroxyapatite coatings in rabbit tibia. The results show that hydroxyapatite nanoparticles enhance the osseointegration of titanium implants, as evidenced by higher bone-to-implant contact ratio, bone volume fraction, and pull-out force.
  • The tenth article examines the effect of surface roughness on bacterial adhesion to titanium implants. Bacterial adhesion is a major cause of implant failure, as it can lead to biofilm formation, peri-implantitis, and implant loosening. Surface roughness is one of the factors that can influence bacterial adhesion to implant surfaces, as it can affect the physical interactions, hydrophobicity, charge distribution, and protein adsorption on the surface. The article compares the bacterial adhesion of Streptococcus mutans and Porphyromonas gingivalis to four different titanium surfaces: smooth, machined, sandblasted, and acid-etched. The results show that surface roughness has different effects on different bacterial species. For Streptococcus mutans, surface roughness increases bacterial adhesion, whereas for Porphyromonas gingivalis, surface roughness decreases bacterial adhesion. The article suggests that these differences may be related to the different mechanisms of adhesion and biofilm formation of these bacteria.