Work

Antimicrobial‐Releasing Implant Substrates for Combating Oral Biofilms: An In Vitro Study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Background and Objectives Peri‐implantitis, a biofilm‐associated inflammatory disease, significantly threatens dental implant longevity. Current treatments face limitations due to biofilm robustness. This study evaluates the efficacy of antimicrobial‐releasing titanium‐silica (Ti/SiO 2 ) composite implant systems against multispecies oral biofilms, aiming to advance innovative localized and targeted peri‐implantitis prevention and management strategies. Materials and Methods Ti/SiO 2 inserts were engineered with macroporous Ti6Al4V discs produced by additive manufacturing (AM) and a sol–gel‐derived mesoporous SiO 2 barrier for controlled antimicrobial release across the discs. Chlorhexidine (CHX), as the gold standard antimicrobial agent in dental practice, was tested for its release efficacy using either a laboratory‐prepared chlorhexidine diacetate solution (CHX‐DA) or the commercial formulation Corsodyl. Phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) and Brain Heart Infusion‐2 (BHI‐2) medium served as control solutions. After establishing the CHX‐DA release profile, multispecies biofilms were grown on the inserts. The antimicrobial efficacy of the release systems was assessed via viability‐qPCR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and metabolic acid profiling. All experiments were conducted four times. Results A mean pore diameter of 5.6 nm was observed for the discs, resulting in a steady drug release rate (≈0.00077 mmol/L CHX‐DA/day). The antimicrobial‐fed inserts showed less biofilm formation, with ≥ 2 log 10 reductions in viable bacteria compared to controls. CHX‐DA and Corsodyl showed effective suppression of pathogenic bacteria and reductions in metabolic acid production. SEM analysis revealed morphological changes in bacterial cells on treated surfaces. Conclusion Antimicrobial‐releasing Ti/SiO 2 implant discs demonstrated sustained efficacy in biofilm prevention and treatment, indicating their feasibility as a future strategy for peri‐implantitis management.

Source: Clinical Oral Implants Research

DOI: 10.1111/clr.70067