Review of Dental Implant Surface Modifications

In the last decade, implant surface treatment in order to maintain rapid and improved osseointegration has been considered worldwide. This study reviews methods used to increase osseointegration of dental implants by surface modification techniques.

A search in PubMed was performed by typing the following words: dental implant surface, implant surface treatment, implants surface modification and 48 relevant articles were extracted from 2000 to 2012.

surface characteristics of dental implants such as surface chemistry, thickness of the TiO2 layer, wettability, surface charge, and surface roughness can increase the rate and strength of osseointegration. Many of these methods have been shown to have clinical efficacy (>95% over 5 years).

The exact role of the surface chemical characteristics and surface topography in the primary events of osseo integration has not been clarified precisely. In addition, human clinical trials that compare current methods simultaneously in a split mouth design are rare. Many of these studies were in vitro and generalizing the results of these studies to the clinical practice is difficult. Therefore, more clinical trials are suggested.