Photofunctionalization of Dental Implants
After dental implants are manufactured there can be a loss of biological activity that may be reactivated by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, that is, photofunctionalization. The titanium surface is energy conditioned by UV radiation. This imparts a slight positive surface energy and hydrophilicity to the titanium dental implant surface. This conditioning renews biological activity lost after a shelf life of as little as 2 weeks. The UV radiation has chemical and biological effects on the osseous-implant interface. Photofunctionization for as little as 15 minutes accelerates healing and increases bone to implant contact. The most effective time exposure and UV wave length are in need of identification to produce a surface most conducive for osseointegration.
Figure 1. A bead of water was gingerly placed on the test implant. Figure 2. After 5 minutes of ultraviolet treatment the water bead spread across the implant surface. Figure 3. A control was made by gingerly placing a water bead on an implant and not applying ultraviolet light. Figure 4. After 5 minutes the bead did not spread across the implant surface.
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