An in-vitro study of the sterilization of titanium dental implants using low intensity UV-radiation

Objectives Commercial titanium dental implants are coated with nanostructured TiO2. The aim of the research reported in this paper was to assess whether the TiO2 at the surface of a dental implant is sufficiently photoactive to eradicate bacteria when illumined with low intensity light. Methods The photoactivity of dental implants was established by studies of the photoenhanced decomposition of Rhodamine B. In vitro studies to establish the influence of irradiating with UV light an implant that is immersed in a solution containing Escherichia Coli were performed. Results It was demonstrated that under low UV intensity irradiation, 49 μW cm−2, bacteria are killed at a rate of approximately 650 million per cm2 of implant per minute. Significance The results indicate that illumination of dental implants with UV light may be a suitable treatment for periimplantitis.