Ji MK, et al. J Adv Prosthodont. 2015 Apr;7(2):166-171. https://doi.org/10.4047/jap.2015.7.2.166

Ji MK, et al. J Adv Prosthodont. 2015 Aug;7(4):271-277. https://doi.org/10.4047/jap.2015.7.4.271

Dental implants are widely used tooth replacement tools owing to their good oral rehabilitation and reconstruction capacities. Since dental implants are designed as a replacement for natural teeth, multi-functional abilities are desired to achieve successful implant treatment with improved osseointegration through promotion of mammalian cell activity and prevention of bacterial cell activity. In this study, we developed a graphene–chitosan hybrid dental implant (GC hybrid implant) using various concentrations of graphene, which demonstrated the different surface properties including increased wettability and roughness. Importantly, the GC hybrid implant under the optimal condition (i.e., 1% GC hybrid implant) could significantly promote osteoblast proliferation while reducing biofilm formation and bacterial activity. Our study demonstrates the potential of using this GC hybrid implant as a new type of dental implant, which can offer an effective design for the fabrication of advanced dental implants.

Park C, et al. J Adv Prosthodont. 2017 Apr;9(2):118-123. https://doi.org/10.4047/jap.2017.9.2.118

The alternative antibacterial treatment photothermal therapy (PTT) significantly affects oral microbiota inactivation. In this work, graphene with photothermal properties was coated on a zirconia surface using atmospheric pressure plasma, and then the antibacterial properties against oral bacteria were evaluated. For the graphene oxide coating on the zirconia specimens, an atmospheric pressure plasma generator (PGS-300, Expantech, Suwon, Republic of Korea) was used, and an Ar/CH₄ gas mixture was coated on a zirconia specimen at a power of 240 W and a rate of 10 L/min. In the physiological property test, the surface properties were evaluated by measuring the surface shape of the zirconia specimen coated with graphene oxide, as well as the chemical composition and contact angle of the surface. In the biological experiment, the degree of adhesion of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) was determined by crystal violet assay and live/dead staining. All statistical analyzes were performed using SPSS 21.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The group in which the zirconia specimen coated with graphene oxide was irradiated with near-infrared rays demonstrated a significant reduction in the adhesion of S. mutans and P. gingivalis compared with the group not irradiated. The oral microbiota inactivation was reduced by the photothermal effect on the zirconia coated with graphene oxide, exhibiting photothermal properties.

Joo HS, et al. J Adv Prosthodont. 2015 Jun;7(3):183-190. https://doi.org/10.4047/jap.2015.7.3.183