Dental implants materials and surface treatments

A dental implant is devices that are surgically placed into the alveolar bone and support removable dentures, fixed prostheses, and orthodontic appliances. Because they are in direct contact with the bone, soft tissues and blood, biocompatibility is paramount. Furthermore, to support the aforementioned prostheses and appliances, they should have adequate mechanical and physical properties to withstand the occlusal forces and environment of the oral cavity. Also, they should induce minimal bone loss and have biology properties that prevent the growth of pathogenic periodontal organisms. Over the last few decades, a number of dental implant materials have been used. Titanium is the most popular metal that is used to support removable and fixed prostheses. More recently, zirconium has been used as a dental implant material as well. Polymeric materials such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) are being studied for potential uses in clinical implant dentistry because of their physical and mechanical properties being close to that of bone. Additionally, to improve the biocompatibility and impart antimicrobial properties to the dental implants, a number of modifications have been used and proposed. The aim of this chapter to provide the reader with a brief history of dental implant materials, an overview of the process of osseointegration and a detailed background of the dental implant materials and surface treatments.