Antibacterial Efficacy and Surface Characteristics of Boron Nitride Coated Dental Implant: An In-Vitro Study

This in vitro study evaluated bacterial cell proliferation and biofilm adhesion on titanium discs with and without antibacterial surface treatment to reduce the chances of peri-implant infections. Hexagonal boron nitride with 99.5% purity was converted to hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets via the liquid phase exfoliation process. The spin coating method was used for uniform coating of h-BNNSs over titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) discs. Two groups of titanium discs were formed: Group I (n = 10) BN-coated titanium discs and Group II (n = 10) uncoated titanium discs. Two bacterial strains, Streptococcus mutans (initial colonizers) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (secondary colonizers), were used. A zone of inhibition test, microbial colony forming units assay, and crystal violet staining assay were used to evaluate bacterial cell viability. Surface characteristics and antimicrobial efficacy were examined by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy. SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 21.0 was used to analyze the results. The data were analyzed for probability distribution using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and a non-parametric test of significance was applied. An inter-group comparison was done using the Mann-Whitney U test. A statistically significant increase was observed in the bactericidal action of BN-coated discs compared to uncoated discs against S. mutans, but no statistically significant difference was found against F. nucleatum.

Automated summary

This in vitro study examined the effects of antibacterial surface treatment on titanium discs to prevent peri-implant infections. Hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets were coated onto titanium discs using the spin coating method. Two groups of titanium discs, one with the coating and one without, were tested against Streptococcus mutans and Fusobacterium nucleatum. The results showed that the coated discs had a statistically significant increase in bactericidal action against S. mutans compared to the uncoated discs.