Left image: Electron micrograph of an osteoblast cell expanding on the implant by grabbing onto the pores. Right photograph: Alireza Yaghoubi (left) and a research colleague (right) examining a dental implant. (Image/Photograph courtesy of Malaya)

Oct 20, 2014 | News Asia Pacific

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Worldwide, the proportion of people aged over 60 is increasing at a greater rate than any other age group. In order to provide better dental treatment for age-related conditions, researchers in Malaysia have developed new biomedical implants with special surface properties that have been shown to accelerate bone healing. They believe that their findings could pave the way for more personalised medical products that meet individual patient needs.

In two studies, scientists at the University of Malaya’s Department of Restorative Dentistry tested the efficiency of different surface properties. In the first study, they demonstrated that a bioactive coating based on magnesium silicates did not exhibit thermally induced microcracks upon sintering, in contrast to commercially available calcium phosphate bioceramics, which develop microcracks during preparation and delaminate under pressure. 

In the second study, they reported a method for fabricating titanium implants with special surface topographies. In particular, they developed a microwave sintering procedure through which pure titanium powder can be readily densified into implants with graded porosity in a single step. According to the study, certain graded surfaces nearly doubled the probability of cell viability in the early stages and are therefore expected to improve the rate of healing.

Alireza Yaghoubi, the corresponding author of both studies, suggested that manufacturing dental implants with distinct surface properties could help in the development of personalised products in the future. “People are different and the new trend in biotechnology is to make personalised medicine that matches needs. With regard to dental implants, we have the problem of variation in bone density in patients with osteoporosis or even in healthy individuals. Finding ways to integrate the implants with bone tissue can be challenging. In addition, there are problems with the long-term performance of dental implants,” he explained. 

The researchers are currently planning for clinical trials for this new generation of dental implants in order to make them available to the market soon.

The first study, titled “Electrophoretic deposition of magnesium silicates on titanium implants: Ion migration and silicide interfaces”, was published in the July issue of the Applied Surface Science journal. The second study, titled “Microwave-assisted fabrication of titanium implants with controlled surface topography for rapid bone healing”, was published in the August issue of the Applied Materials and Interfaces journal. 

To learn more about dental implants, please go to our dedicated topic page.