The antibacterial activity and osteoblastic viability of bioactive polymeric coatings on titanium surfaces for dental implants: A systematic review of in vitro studies

Abstract

Polymeric coatings incorporated with tissue engineering materials have become attractive due to their ability to make the surface of titanium and its alloys antimicrobial and pro-osteogenic. Thus, this review aimed to answer "Do the polymeric hybrid coatings applied on titanium and its alloys surfaces for dental implants present antibacterial activity and osteoblastic viability? This review followed The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Of 278 articles found, 25 met the eligibility criteria. The data found were analyzed regarding the type of polymer, biopolymer or synthetic, and associated material, metallic nanoparticles, bioceramics, proteins, antibiotics, and others. For risk of bias, 11 had a low risk, 12 had a moderate risk, and 2 had a high risk. It was concluded that of the 25 in vitro evaluation studies, 23 presented polymeric coatings with antibacterial activity and osteoblastic viability. Thus, the promising results of this review reinforce the need for continuous research for the development of bioactive polymeric coatings that could be a solution in limited cases and motivate the development of preclinical studies that verify their real viability, amount of drug needed, best method for sterilization, durability, and regulation to increase the number of patents, commercialization, and safe clinical application.