Surface Treatments of Dental Implants - A Review

Dental implant surface modifications have evolved significantly to enhance osseointegration and long-term clinical success. This review provides a comprehensive overview of implant surface treatments, spanning subtractive, additive and advanced nanotechnology-based approaches. Subtractive methods, including grit blasting, acid etching and SLA (sandblasted, large-grit, acid-etched) techniques, enhance surface roughness and bone-to-implant contact (BIC), with SLA considered the clinical gold standard. Additive techniques, such as plasma spraying and bioactive coatings, aim to increase osteoconductivity, though issues like coating stability and delamination remain. Advanced strategies leverage nanotechnology, smart drug-delivery coatings and patient-specific 3D-printed implants to mimic bone extracellular matrix and actively modulate biological responses. These innovations offer potential in preventing peri-implantitis and improving integration, though long-term clinical data are limited. This review underscores the biological basis of surface interactions and highlights future directions in multifunctional, smart and personalized implant technologies.