Dental Implants: Plasma polymerization for antibacterial coatings

Abstract

Dental implants are widely used to overcome tooth loss. The material of choice for this application is titanium, due to its excellent mechanical properties, high corrosion resistance, and high biocompatibility. Despite the high success rate of titanium dental implants, there are a significant number of failures due to the infection of the surrounding tissues. The best way to avoid infections related to the use of dental implants is to achieve an antibacterial surface, either by physical or chemical modification of the titanium surface or by coating the implant with a polymer. These surfaces are intended to avoid the initial adhesion of bacteria, thus avoiding biofilm formation. This entry summarizes the main strategies to impart antibacterial character to the surface of the titanium implants, focusing on the strategies using plasma polymerization as a deposition technique to coat the titanium surface.