Influence of Bioinspired Lithium-Doped Titanium Implants on Gingival Fibroblast Bioactivity and Biofilm Adhesion

Abstract

Soft tissue integration (STI) at the transmucosal level around dental implants is crucial for the long-term success of dental implants. Surface modification of titanium dental implants could be an effective way to enhance peri-implant STI. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of bioinspired lithium (Li)-doped Ti surface on the behaviour of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) and oral biofilm in vitro. HGFs were cultured on various Ti surfaces—Li-doped Ti (Li_Ti), NaOH_Ti and micro-rough Ti (Control_Ti)—and were evaluated for viability, adhesion, extracellular matrix protein expression and cytokine secretion. Furthermore, single species bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) and multi-species oral biofilms from saliva were cultured on each surface and assessed for viability and metabolic activity. The results show that both Li_Ti and NaOH_Ti significantly increased the proliferation of HGFs compared to the control. Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) mRNA levels were significantly increased on Li_Ti and NaOH_Ti at day 7. Moreover, Li_Ti upregulated COL-I and fibronectin gene expression compared to the NaOH_Ti. A significant decrease in bacterial metabolic activity was detected for both the Li_Ti and NaOH_Ti surfaces. Together, these results suggest that bioinspired Li-doped Ti promotes HGF bioactivity while suppressing bacterial adhesion and growth. This is of clinical importance regarding STI improvement during the maintenance phase of the dental implant treatment.

Histologic Evaluation of Soft Tissues around Dental Implant Abutments: A Narrative Review

“…Various materials and their different surface treatments have been extensively studied in vitro to assess their effects on peri-implant soft tissues, focusing on the fibroblast’s activity modulation and on the oral biofilm formation [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. For example, a surface treated with nanoporous titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) may change the reactivity of the implant surface; in fact, results from animal studies showed a decreased inflammatory reaction, a good epithelial attachment, and less marginal bone loss when compared to non-treated implants [ 20 , 21 ].…”