Background/Objectives: The use of zirconia implants is gaining traction as a potential alternative to titanium. Although having excellent properties, the zirconia surface has limited osteogenic potential. The purpose of this study was to produce, for the first time, mechanically stable, thick micron-scale hydroxyapatite coatings on zirconia implant material using radiofrequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. Methods: Zirconia samples were coated with HA using an RF magnetron sputtering device at a temperature of 125 °C for 20 h with 155 W of power. The procedure included rotating the substrate at a speed of 10 rpm while an argon gas flow was maintained continuously. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, atomic force microscopy, and Vickers hardness measurements were used to evaluate the coat’s characteristics. Results: A smooth hydroxyapatite coating layer that was consistent and free of cracks was observed in all FESEM pictures. The EDX study revealed that the substrate surface contains HA particles, and the ratio of calcium (Ca) to phosphorus (P) was 16.58 to 11.31, which is very close to the ratio in original HA. FESEM cross-section pictures showed good adhesion between the coating and substrate without any gaps, and the coating thickness was 5 µm on average. A statistically significant difference was found in the roughness analysis between the samples of uncoated Zr and HA-coated Zr (p-value < 0.05). Conclusions: Zirconia implant material can be coated with a uniform layer of HA, displaying good adhesion and a thickness of a few micrometers when using magnetron sputtering for an extended period of time.

Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal (BPJ) is an international, open access, peer reviewed, quarterly research journal.

Background: zirconium (Zr) implants are known for having an aesthetically pleasing tooth-like colour Unlike the grey cervical collar that develops over time when titanium (Ti) implants are used in thin gingival biotypes. However, the surface qualities of Zr implants can be further improved. This present study examined using thermal vapour deposition (TVD) to coat Zr implants with germanium (Ge) to improve its physical and chemical characteristics and enhance soft and hard tissue responses. Materials and methods: Zr discs were divided into two groups; the uncoated (control) group was only grit-blasted with alumina particles while the coated (experimental) group was grit-blasted then coated with Ge via TVD. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), water contact angle test, and cross-hatch adhesion tests were then used for surface characterization Results: An XRD analysis of the Ge-coated Zr samples revealed the substrate while the FESEM results revealed a continuous coating with no cracks. The mean surface roughness and hydrophilicity of the Ge-coated Zr substrate was significantly higher than that of the uncoated Zr substrate (P≤0.01). The cross-hatch adhesion of all the samples was 0%, thereby indicating good coating adhesion. Conclusion: Therefore Coating Zr implants with Ge via TVD enhances its physical and chemical properties.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the familiarity and knowledge regarding photodynamic therapy (PDT) amongst the specialists, undergraduate and postgraduate students in the academic dental institutes. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among specialists, undergraduate and postgraduate students from three dental colleges. The three-sections questionnaire was distributed online to the targeted populations. The first section of the questionnaire aimed to collect the demographics variables of the respondents, while the second and third sections were dedicated to determining the familiarity and knowledge towards PDT, respectively. Results: Out of 700 respondents, only 403 (57.6%) responded to the questionnaire with an average age of 28.4 ±7.9 years, who were divided into 127 (31.5%) male and 276 (68.5%) female. Most respondents demonstrated an acceptable level of familiarity regarding PDT with postgraduates and specialists expressing significantly higher degree of familiarity than undergraduates. Additionally, the specialists showed a significantly higher degree of knowledge about PDT than postgraduates and undergraduates. Similarly, respondents with a longer professional career experience (>6 years) showed significantly higher knowledge than those with less years of experience. Overall, true familiarity of PDT was reported by only 25.1% of the respondents. Conclusion: Generally, respondents demonstrated average degrees of familiarity and knowledge about PDT. However, in-depth knowledge of the respondents was compromised suggesting integration of PDT topic in the dental curricula of undergraduates and postgraduates together with continuous education and training programs for dental practitioners.