Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate antibacterial activity and osteoblast-like cell viability according to the ratio of titanium nitride and zirconium nitride coating on commercially pure titanium using an arc ion plating system.
Materials and methods: Polished titanium surfaces were used as controls. Surface topography was observed by scanning electron microscopy, and surface roughness was measured using a two-dimensional contact stylus profilometer. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against Streptococcus mutans and Porphyromonas gingivalis with the colony-forming unit assay. Cell compatibility, mRNA expression, and morphology related to human osteoblast-like cells (MG-63) on the coated specimens were determined by the XTT assay and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.
Results: The number of S. mutans colonies on the TiN, ZrN and (Ti1-xZrx)N coated surface decreased significantly compared to those on the non-coated titanium surface (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The number of P. gingivalis colonies on all surfaces showed no significant differences. TiN, ZrN and (Ti1-xZrx)N coated titanium showed antibacterial activity against S. mutans related to initial biofilm formation but not P. gingivalis associated with advanced periimplantitis, and did not influence osteoblast-like cell viability.
Keywords: Antibacterial activity; Periimplantitis; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Streptococcus mutans; Titanium nitride (TiN); Zirconium nitride (ZrN).