Antibacterial activity of titanium nitride coating: A systematic review

In recent years, titanium nitride (TiN) coating has been used as an adjunctive surface treatment to improve the physico-mechanical and aesthetic properties of dental implants. Several studies have investigated the antibacterial activity of TiN coatings on dental implants, demonstrating their potential to mitigate bacterial colonization and biofilm formation. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the actual efficacy of TiN-coated implants on antibacterial activity. Data was collected following the identification of PICO. The review was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A search was performed on PubMed-Medline, Embase, Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar for studies published until February 2023, including the following keywords: “titanium nitride, dental implant coating, antibacterial activity, biofilm formation, plaque formation, modified implant surfaces, implant abutments”. After evaluating and scanning the articles that met the study inclusion criteria, it can be stated that the TiN implant coating can inhibit the initial biofilm formation involved in mucositis by reducing the progression into peri-implantitis related to the bio-corrosion activity of the TiN of the implant surface. In the light of these findings, more clinical studies need to be performed.