Abstract

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is the main constituent of bones and teeth. Therefore, HA is widely used for artificial bone grafting, which is often used to replace the lost bones or in reconstructing alveolar bones before dental implantation. This study discusses the HA applications in dentistry. Once broken, the bones, comprising HA and collagen, regenerate over time. However, if enamel, which primarily comprises HA, is severely damaged, then it does not regenerate over time. This is because the enamel is devoid of collagen and nerves. Therefore, it is common to remove damaged teeth and transplant titanium implants if the tooth is considerably damaged. At this time, if the alveolar bone is reduced, a bone transplant is performed first. HA is a major material for artificial bone transplantation. It is also coated on the surface of dental implants to enhance tissue compatibility. To deposit HA on metal substrate surfaces, various methods, e.g., plasma thermal spraying, have been reported. Recently, research has been conducted to enhance the biological functionality by synthesizing nano-HA into various forms to deposit HA on the surface of implants or by introducing biomolecules on the surface of HA.

Keywords:Hydroxyapatite; Bone grafts; Hydroxyapatite deposition; Tissue compatibility; Implants