Bioactivity, biocompatibility, thermal behavior and antibacterial properties of calcium silicate composites containing Ag

In biomaterials field, surface modifications of bio-inert implants allow optimization of their surface properties while retaining favorable bulk properties. The objective of this work has been the preparation of dental implants with potential antibacterial properties. The sol gel method, coupled with dip coating techniques, was used to synthesize the materials with different silver amount and to coat titanium implants with them. The chemical characterization of the materials was carried out by Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy and simultaneous thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA). The coating morphology was evaluated by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In order to investigate the bioactivity and biocompatibility of the materials as a function of Ag content, they were soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF) and WST-8 assay on NIH-3T3 cells was used. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity was evaluated. The results have shown that both the bioactivity and biocompatibility of coatings decrease slightly at high Ag contents and on the contrary antibacterial activity of the films increases against the Staphylococcus aureus.