Titanium dioxide nanotube arrays: A novel approach into periodontal tissue regeneration on the surface of titanium implants

Titanium alloys have been extensively used as promising implant materials. The anodic oxide layer on the surface of this alloy can be a compact, porous or a tubular structure, which has a direct impact on the final characteristics of the implants. In this study, nano topographic oxide arrays were synthesized on the surface of titanium substrates using an anodic oxidation technique. The anodization process was performed at a two-electrode electrochemical cell, and then the samples were annealed to obtain crystalline structures. The synthesized samples were analyzed to evaluate the compositional phase, morphology, surface hydrophilicity and corrosion resistance of the nanostructured oxide arrays in artificial saliva. Microscopic observations confirmed the formation of a nanotubular structure on the surface of titanium substrate depending on the anodization condition. After heat-treatment at 570 °C, crystallographic analyses showed that the obtained crystalline phase was a mixture of Anatase and Rutile phases. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results indicated a significant improvement in the corrosion resistance and electrochemical stability of the anodized sample in artificial saliva compare to the control samples. In addition, the anodized samples showed a better hydrophilic characteristics, viability and proliferation of periodontal ligament cells in comparison with the un-anodized samples. This study demonstrated that the anodized titanium samples, with the nanotubular structure on the surfaces, could be considered as a good candidate for dental implants. Copyright © 2016 VBRI Press.