In Vivo Biofilm Formation on Novel PEEK, Titanium, and Zirconia Implant Abutment Materials

Wiessner, Andreas; Wassmann, Torsten; Wiessner, Johanna Maria; Schubert, Andrea; Wiechens, Bernhard; Hampe, Tristan; Bürgers, Ralf

doi:10.3390/ijms24021779

Open AccessArticle

In Vivo Biofilm Formation on Novel PEEK, Titanium, and Zirconia Implant Abutment Materials

by

Andreas Wiessner

^1,†

,

Torsten Wassmann

^1,*,†

,

Johanna Maria Wiessner

²,

Andrea Schubert

¹,

Bernhard Wiechens

²

,

Tristan Hampe

¹

and

Ralf Bürgers

¹

Department of Prosthodontics, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany

²

Department of Orthodontics, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(2), 1779; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021779

Submission received: 9 December 2022 / Revised: 16 December 2022 / Accepted: 11 January 2023 / Published: 16 January 2023

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dental Biomaterials: From Fundamental Principles to Clinical Applications)

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Abstract

The formation of biofilms on the surface of dental implants and abutment materials may lead to peri-implantitis and subsequent implant failure. Recently, innovative materials such as polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) and its modifications have been used as abutment materials. However, there is limited knowledge on microbial adhesion to PEEK materials. The aim of this in vivo study was to investigate biofilm formation on the surface of conventional (titanium and zirconia) and PEEK implant abutment materials. Split specimens of titanium, zirconia, PEEK, and modified PEEK (PEEK-BioHPP) were manufactured, mounted in individual removable acrylic upper jaw splints, and worn by 20 healthy volunteers for 24 h. The surface roughness was determined using widefield confocal microscopy. Biofilm accumulation was investigated by fluorescence microscopy and quantified by imaging software. The surface roughness of the investigated materials was <0.2 µm and showed no significant differences between the materials. Zirconia showed the lowest biofilm formation, followed by titanium, PEEK, and PEEK-BioHPP. Differences were significant (p < 0.001) between the investigated materials, except for the polyether-ether-ketones. Generally, biofilm formation was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the posterior region of the oral cavity than in the anterior region. The results of the present study show a material-dependent susceptibility to biofilm formation. The risk of developing peri-implantitis may be reduced by a specific choice of abutment material.

Keywords: implant abutment; dental biomaterial; biofilm; in vivo study; zirconia; PEEK; titanium; peri-implantitis; biofilm management

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MDPI and ACS Style

Wiessner, A.; Wassmann, T.; Wiessner, J.M.; Schubert, A.; Wiechens, B.; Hampe, T.; Bürgers, R. In Vivo Biofilm Formation on Novel PEEK, Titanium, and Zirconia Implant Abutment Materials. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 1779. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021779

AMA Style

Wiessner A, Wassmann T, Wiessner JM, Schubert A, Wiechens B, Hampe T, Bürgers R. In Vivo Biofilm Formation on Novel PEEK, Titanium, and Zirconia Implant Abutment Materials. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023; 24(2):1779. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021779

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wiessner, Andreas, Torsten Wassmann, Johanna Maria Wiessner, Andrea Schubert, Bernhard Wiechens, Tristan Hampe, and Ralf Bürgers. 2023. "In Vivo Biofilm Formation on Novel PEEK, Titanium, and Zirconia Implant Abutment Materials" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 24, no. 2: 1779. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021779

APA Style

Wiessner, A., Wassmann, T., Wiessner, J. M., Schubert, A., Wiechens, B., Hampe, T., & Bürgers, R. (2023). In Vivo Biofilm Formation on Novel PEEK, Titanium, and Zirconia Implant Abutment Materials. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(2), 1779. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021779

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In Vivo Biofilm Formation on Novel PEEK, Titanium, and Zirconia Implant Abutment Materials

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