Effect of HA coating on the dental implants: past, present and future directions

High success rates of dental implants have been documented in many long-term studies. However, in patients with poor bone quality, the failure rates of such implants also becomes significant. In such cases the use of hydroxyapatite (HA) coated dental implants has been shown to improve the rate of success. Several types of HA-coated implants are available commercially, and a number of clinical and animal studies evaluating the effect of HA-coating have been published. Some of these reports have raised concerns regarding the resorption of HA and its mechanical failure due to fatigue. However, in spite of the aggressive use of HA-coated implants in patients with inadequate bone mass, high success rates have been reported. Our review of the literature suggests that the use of HA-coated dental implants may provide the benefits of early bone formation and a higher interface shear strength with bone