Abstract

Dental implants, in contrast to orthopedic implants, necessitate the coordination of both osseointegrations at the bone-implant interface and soft-tissue integration at the transmucosal region in a complex oral microenvironment populated by numerous pathogenic bacteria. This presents a very challenging setting for the early acceptance of dental implants and their long-term survival, particularly in vulnerable patient populations like diabetics, smokers, and the elderly. New nano-engineering techniques are emerging to enable advanced local therapy from the surface of titaniumbased dental implants. For maximum localized therapeutic effect, this includes anodized nano-engineered implants containing growth factors, antibiotics, therapeutic nanoparticles, and biopolymers. Finding a balance between therapy and bioactivity enhancement (like bactericidal efficacy) without causing cytotoxicity is a crucial criterion. In order to make it possible for these therapeutic dental implants to be used in clinical settings, significant research gaps must still be filled. In order to enable the successful fabrication of clinically-translatable therapeutic dental implants that would permit long-term success, even in compromised patient conditions, this review provides information on the most recent developments, obstacles, and future directions in this field.