Dental implants are widely used in clinical practice, yet there are no established criteria regarding the choice of material, design, or surface characteristics which should be employed for these devices. Preliminary information from our laboratory suggests that the surface of commercial implants varies widely and influences the biological response. The goals of this application are to provide the applicant with the skills necessary to approach these problems of biomaterials research by characterizing the effects of materials on the biological responses. The experiments proposed are specifically designed to study a number of variables such as metal selection topography, oxide structure and composition, and surface charge and energy by using surface characterization techniques, including SEM/EDAX, XPS, AES, and contact angle measurements. The effects of these conditions on fundamental biological processes such as matrix deposition and cellular attachment, spreading and proliferation will address the hypothesis that modifications of the implant surface determine biological acceptance ad, thereby long term tissue compatibility. Specific surface characteristics which are important in determining a suitable substratum for biological acceptability will be ascertained. This research has important clinical implications in that it will help define a model implant surface to which there is an optimum tissue response. Mentors and consultants with expertise in the appropriate areas of cell biology and materials surface science have been selected, and a productive research environment chosen, so as to assist the candidate in his long term goal to better understand the effects of material on biological systems.
