Gallium-doped dual micro-nano titanium dental implants towards soft-tissue integration and bactericidal functions

Alongside osseointegration, effective soft-tissue integration (STI) is crucial to the long-term success of dental implants by preventing the ingress of oral pathogens. Nanoscale surface modification of titanium dental implants has shown promise in achieving enhanced bioactivity and antibacterial efficacy. We propose the fabrication of dual micro-nano anisotropic titania nanopores (TNPs) via electrochemical anodization of Ti, followed by incorporating gallium (Ga) towards enhanced antibacterial efficacy. Optimization of Ga chemical functionalization on TNPs was followed by in-depth surface topographical/chemical characterizations and in vitro Ga release. This study revealed that the surface chemistry, hydrophilicity, and topography of the TNPs were altered upon Ga-doping, resulting in the formation of Ga-containing nanoscale particulates firmly bound to TNPs. Further, gingival fibroblast bioactivity was favorably maintained on TNPs and Ga-releasing TNPs. Finally, a human oral salivary biofilm model confirmed the significant antibacterial efficacy of Ga-doped TNPs. Ga-doped dual micro-nano Ti dental implants are suitable as the next generation of bioactive and bactericidal dental implants.