Development of porous silver nanoparticle/polycaprolactone/polyvinyl alcohol coatings for prophylaxis in titanium interconnected samples for dental implants

Abstract

Stress shielding phenomenon, poor osseointegration, or bacterial infections of titanium dental implants are widely recognized as key problems that deeply affect their survival rate. In this work, a joint solution to solve these three limitations is proposed. The first two issues were minimized applying porous Ti samples. This substrate exhibits an appropriated biomechanical equilibrium (stiffness and mechanical resistance) and good biofunctionality (ability to promote bone ingrowth). On the other hand, the porous Ti disc was coated with biocompatible and non-toxic polymeric composites matrices using poly-ε-caprolactone and partially acetylated polyvinyl alcohol, combined with silver nanoparticles as a therapeutic antimicrobial agent. The optimization of the best blend composition and optimal nanoparticles concentration were investigated. Finally, the two composites with the best antimicrobial activity were infiltrated into porous Ti discs. The deposited coatings presented good adhesion and a honeycomb-like surface structure that could promote vascularization of the implant and enhance osseointegration.