Antibacterial activity of titanium nitride coating: a mini review

Bacterial adhesion to the implant surface was the first step of peri-implant inflammation. Changes in the properties of the implant surface represent a way to reduce plaque colonization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the actual efficacy of titanium nitride (TiN) coated implants on antibacterial activity. Data were collected after identification of PICO. A search was performed in PubMed-Medline, Embase, Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar using the following keywords “Titanium nitride, dental implant coating, antibacterial activity, biofilm formation, plaque formation, modified implant surfaces, implant abutments”. The original search included 107 articles. After title and abstract screening, the number was reduced to 12. These articles were read in full text, and finally 5 articles were included in the mini-review. TiN-coated titanium appears to reduce bacterial adhesion and growth and may represent a real possibility for preventing peri-implantitis and mucositis. However, further clinical studies need to be conducted.