Luís Eduardo Martins Pereira

Former Visiting student (University of Aveiro, Portugal)

Processing and analysis of laser textured zirconia for cell adhesion optimisation in the context of dental applications

 

Supervisors: Dr. Joana Mesquita-Guimaraes (Aveiro), Dr. Rainer Detsch and Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini (Erlangen)

Teeth are structures of bone origin with high importance in the human body, where the primary function is mastication. To resist the opposing load of mastication, teeth are inserted into three essential structures: the gingiva, the alveolar bone, and the periodontal ligament [1]. Good oral health can be compromised by the deficiency of any of these structures. Since teeth inevitably deteriorate throughout life due to physical, chemical, and genetic factors, new strategies have been sought to make dental implants increasingly aesthetic and functional. Given the good characteristics of zirconia, the dental implant industry has explored this material in the last few years [2], [3]. In this regard, new methodologies are being designed to make this material increasingly attractive for dental implants. Strategies such as surface texturing via laser, bioactive coatings to maximise cell activity, and sintering techniques are addressed to enhance the functionality of such zirconia ceramics [4]. The characterisation og textured zirconia samples fabricatead and University of Aveiro will be carriead out at the Erlangen Institute of Biomaterials. This project is funded in part by the JECS Trust (European Ceramic Society).

[1] J. Coventry, G. Griffiths, C. Scully, and M. Tonetti, “Periodontal disease Periodontitis Gingival bleeding Gingival ulcers,” BMJ 2000;321:36.

[2] Z. O. Zkurt, E. Kazazog, and Lu, “Zirconia Dental Implants: A Literature Review,” J Oral Implantol 2011;37(3):367-76. doi: 10.1563/AAID-JOI-D-09-00079.

[3] F. H. Schünemann et al., “Zirconia surface modifications for implant dentistry,” Mater. Sci. Eng. C, 2019; 98, 1294–1305. doi: 10.1016/j.msec.2019.01.062.

[4] J. Mesquita-Guimarães et al., “Cell adhesion evaluation of laser-sintered HAp and 45S5 bioactive glass coatings on micro-textured zirconia surfaces using MC3T3-E1 osteoblast-like cells,” Mater. Sci. Eng. C, 2020;109, 110492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2019.110492