|
The present work is a revision of the processes occurring in osseointegration of titanium dental implants according
to different types of surfaces -namely, polished surfaces, rough surfaces obtained from subtraction methods, as
well as the new hydroxyapatite biomimetic surfaces obtained from thermochemical processes. Hydroxyapatite’s
high plasma-projection temperatures have proven to prevent the formation of crystalline apatite on the titanium
dental implant, but lead to the formation of amorphous calcium phosphate (i.e., with no crystal structure) instead.
This layer produce some osseointegration yet the calcium phosphate layer will eventually dissolve and leave a gap
between the bone and the dental implant, thus leading to osseointegration failure due to bacterial colonization.
A new surface -recently obtained by thermochemical processes- produces, by crystallization, a layer of apatite
with the same mineral content as human bone that is chemically bonded to the titanium surface. Osseointegration
speed was tested by means of minipigs, showing bone formation after 3 to 4 weeks, with the security that a dental
implant can be loaded. This surface can be an excellent candidate for immediate or early loading procedures
|