Abstract
Introduction: Ultraviolet (UV) photofunctionalization is a surface activation technique that improves titanium implant performance by removing hydrocarbon contaminants, restoring hydrophilicity, and enhancing osseointegration. Among the UV spectrum, UV-C has the strongest surface modification capacity.
Case Presentation: A 45-year-old systemically healthy male presented with missing teeth in the right mandibular posterior region. Titanium implants were irradiated with UV-C light (160β280 nm) for 3 minutes in a custom chamber prior to placement. The implants achieved good primary stability, with postoperative pain scores of 1 at 24 hours and 3 days, and 0 at 7 days. At 1 month, resonance frequency analysis confirmed stability, and healing abutments were placed. At 2 months, definitive prosthetic restoration was completed with healthy peri-implant tissues and satisfactory function.
Conclusion: UV photofunctionalization may accelerate implant stability and shorten treatment timelines while maintaining favorable biological and clinical outcomes.
Keywords
Authors & Affiliations
References
- de Avila ED, Lima BP, Sekiya T, Torii Y, Ogawa T, Shi W, et al. Effect of UV photofunctionalization on oral bacterial attachment and biofilm formation to titanium implant material. Biomaterials. 2015 Oct;67:84β92.
- Al Qahtani MS, Wu Y, Spintzyk S, Krieg P, Killinger A, Schweizer E, et al. UV-A and UV-C light induced hydrophilization of dental implants. Dental Materials. 2015 Aug 1;31(8):e157β67.
- Kim HS, Lee JI, Yang SS, Kim BS, Kim BC, Lee J. The effect of alendronate soaking and ultraviolet treatment on boneβimplant interface. Clinical Oral Implants Research. 2017 Sep;28(9):1164β72.
- Park W, Ishijima M, Hirota M, Soltanzadeh P, Ogawa T. Engineering bone-implant integration with photofunctionalized titanium microfibers. Journal of Biomaterials Applications. 2016 Mar;30(8):1242β50.
- Flanagan D. Photofunctionalization of dental implants. Journal of Oral Implantology. 2016 Oct 1;42(5):445β50.
- Grischke J, Eberhard J, Stiesch M. Antimicrobial dental implant functionalization strategiesβA systematic review. Dental Materials Journal. 2016 Jul 29;35(4):545β58.
- Park G, Matsuura T, Komatsu K, Ogawa T. Optimizing implant osseointegration, soft tissue responses, and bacterial inhibition: a comprehensive narrative review on the multifaceted approach of the UV photofunctionalization of titanium. Journal of Prosthodontic Research. 2024;69(2):136β52.
- Ghambaryan N, Jilavyan A, Burnazyan S, Khudaverdyan M, Gegham T, Hakobyan G. Clinical outcome of immediate loading UV-Photofunctionalized implants in patients with completely edentulous mandible, placed with guided surgery. Journal of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery. 2023 Mar;22(Suppl 1):64β75.
- Kaneko S, Yamamoto Y, Wada K, Kumagai G, Harada Y, Yamauchi R, et al. Ultraviolet irradiation improves the hydrophilicity and osteo-conduction of hydroxyapatite. Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research. 2020 Sep 18;15(1):425.
- Lopez Perez R, Brauer J, RΓΌhle A, Trinh T, Sisombath S, Wuchter P, et al. Human mesenchymal stem cells are resistant to UV-B irradiation. Scientific Reports. 2019 Dec 27;9(1):20000.