The development of dental implants has significantly advanced due to technological innovations aimed at improving their performance and patient outcomes. This work presents key factors influencing the success of dental implants, including osseointegration, which is the direct connection between living bone and the implant surface, and the various surface modifications that enhance this process. This review highlights the importance of surface roughness, chemical composition, and the use of bioactive coatings to promote better integration with surrounding bone tissue. Innovations such as nanotechnology, 3D printing, and smart surfaces are paving the way for more effective and personalized dental implant solutions. This review underscores the importance of ongoing research and development to improve success rates, enhance patient comfort, and reduce healing times. It focuses on creating cost-effective, reliable methods that integrate multiple functions, such as combining antibacterial and osteoconductive properties to improve overall implant performance.

Biomaterials are the basis for the development of medicine because they allow safe contact with a living organism. The aim of this work was to produce innovative oxide layers with a microporous structure on the surface of commercially pure titanium Grade 4 (CpTi G4) and to characterize their properties as drug carriers. The anodization of the CpTi G4 subjected to mechanical grinding and electrochemical polishing was carried out in a solution of 1M ethylene glycol with the addition of 40 g of ammonium fluoride at a voltage of 20 V for 2, 18, 24, and 48 h at room temperature. It was found that the longer the anodization time, the greater the number of pores formed on the CpTi G4 surface as revealed using the FE-SEM method, and the greater the surface roughness determined in profilometric tests. As the anodizing time increases, the amount of the drug in the form of gentamicin sulfate incorporated into the resulting pores decreases. The most favorable drug release kinetics profile determined via UV–VIS absorption spectroscopy was found for the CpTi G4 anodized for 2 h.

Biomaterials are the basis for the development of medicine because they allow safe contact with a living organism. The aim of this work was to produce innovative oxide layers with a porous microstructure on the surface of commercially pure titanium Grade 4 (CpTi G4), and to characterize their properties as drug carriers. Anodization of the CpTi G4 subjected to mechanical grinding and electrochemical polishing was carried out in a solution of 1M ethylene glycol with the addition of 40 g of ammonium fluoride at a voltage of 20 V for 2, 18, 24 and 48 hours at room temperature. It was found that the longer anodization time, the greater the number of pores formed on the CpTi G4 surface as revealed by FE-SEM method, and the greater the surface roughness determined in profilometric tests. As the anodizing time increases, the amount of the drug in the form of gentamicin sulfate incorporated into the resulting pores decreases. The most favorable drug release kinetics profile determined by UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy was found for the CpTi G4 anodized for 2 h making them the best choice when it comes to the drug carrier allowing full use of the therapeutic dose of the drug.

Titanium alloys are widely used in orthopedic and dental implants, yet their limited bioactivity and bacterial resistance remain critical challenges. This study aimed to enhance the surface performance of a Ti-13Zr-13Nb alloy through the formation of a porous oxide layer and the application of a bioactive, drug-loaded coating. Porous oxide layers composed of Ti, Zr, and Nb oxides with fluoride incorporation were fabricated using a novel anodizing process. The fluoride-assisted electrochemical mechanism controlling oxide growth was elucidated through SEM and EDS analyses. The anodized surface exhibited reduced microhardness, beneficial for minimizing stress-shielding effects. Subsequently, chitosan–tetracycline composite coatings were produced via EPD and compared with dip-coating method. Characterization by ATR-FTIR, optical microscopy, SEM, and UV-VIS spectroscopy confirmed the formation of uniform, adherent, and moderately porous coatings with sustained drug release when produced by EPD, while dip-coated layers were less homogeneous and released the drug faster. Microhardness testing revealed improved mechanical integrity of EPD coatings. The developed chitosan–tetracycline–oxide layer system provides tunable nano/microgram-scale drug release and enhanced surface functionality, offering promising perspectives for acute and medium-term regenerative and antibacterial biomedical applications.

Titanium anodization enables the formation of TiO₂ nanotube (TNT) architectures with structural, physicochemical, mechanical, electrochemical, and biological characteristics relevant to dental implant surface engineering. This critical narrative review, complemented by bibliometric analysis, integrates two methodologically distinct evidence streams: a predefined Scopus dataset used exclusively for quantitative bibliometric analysis and a critical narrative synthesis based on relevant Scopus-indexed literature and supported by supplementary PubMed/MEDLINE searches. Using a Process–Structure–Property–Function (PSPF) framework, the review examines how anodization conditions and substrate characteristics determine TNT architecture and how the resulting structural state influences surface properties and biological function. The available evidence demonstrates substantial interdependence among processing variables and does not support universally optimal TNT dimensions or anodization parameters; rather, functional outcomes depend on system-specific processing windows, the combined surface state, and the intended application. Multifunctional and stimuli-responsive TNT systems, additive manufacturing combined with anodization, fluoride-free processing, and data-assisted optimization offer emerging opportunities but remain predominantly experimental or preclinical. Translation is constrained by methodological heterogeneity, limited standardization, and insufficient validation through sterilization, storage, implant insertion, and long-term exposure. Direct clinical validation of well-defined self-organized TNT architectures on dental implants is currently lacking, with the available evidence derived predominantly from in vitro and preclinical studies. Future development should prioritize reproducible processing windows, standardized characterization, validation on final implant geometries, and quantitative linkage of processing conditions to structure, properties, biological function, and long-term clinical performance.

Nanoporous gold (np-Au) has attracted significant attention for biomedical and electrochemical applications due to its high surface area, tunable morphology, and excellent biocompatibility. In this study, polycrystalline gold surfaces were modified by anodization in 0.3–0.9 M oxalic acid to produce np-Au layers. The influence of anodization conditions on surface morphology, chemical composition, electronic properties, and corrosion resistance in artificial saliva was systematically investigated. Surface morphology and porosity were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy combined with image analysis, revealing a transition from fine and uniform porosity to highly developed but structurally heterogeneous nanoporous structures with increasing oxalic acid concentration. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy confirmed surface oxidation and adsorption of oxygen- and carbon-containing species after anodization, while gold remained the dominant component. Scanning Kelvin probe measurements demonstrated significant modifications of surface electronic properties, including changes in contact potential difference, governed by nanostructure geometry and surface chemistry. Electrochemical tests in artificial saliva showed that increasing nanoporousness led to reduced thermodynamic stability, with the sample anodized in 0.3 M oxalic acid providing the most favorable balance between corrosion resistance and surface activity. These results demonstrate that oxalic acid anodization is a simple and effective approach for tailoring gold surfaces for biomedical applications, particularly in dentistry.