Nanostructured Bulk Titanium with Enhanced Properties—Strategies and Prospects for Dental Applications
Agata Sotniczuk, Halina Garbacz
Abstract
Nanostructuring delivers significant enhancement of Ti mechanical strength and reduces the size of dental implants while avoiding undesirable alloying elements such as Al or V. Implant miniaturization is vital for patients who lack the space in the oral cavity for standard replacements. Herein, a number of strategies proposed in recent years are summarized to optimize the properties of nanostructured Ti products in respect of dental applications: bulk modifications, surface modifications, and deposition of bioactive coatings. Insight into how changes in microstructure induced by the process of fabricating nanograined Ti may be successfully exploited to improve surface properties, which are an essential feature of modern dental healthcare, is provided.