Graphene oxide-engineered dental implants: orchestrating antibacterial defense and osteo-immunomodulation for enhanced osseointegration

Abstract

Dental implant technology has brought significant benefits to millions of patients with missing teeth, substantially improving their quality of life. However, titanium-based dental implants still face two stubborn problems—peri-implant infection and inadequate osseointegration, which seriously undermine their therapeutic outcomes and overall clinical success. To address these two key bottlenecks, this study developed a graphene oxide (Graphene oxide)-engineered dental implant endowed with synergistic antibacterial and osteoimmunomodulatory properties. This implant exhibited broad-spectrum antibacterial effects against three common pathogenic strains in dentistry by disrupting bacterial cell membranes and increasing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Moreover, the implant regulated the macrophage polarization toward a pro-regenerative phenotype, thereby optimizing the local immune microenvironment and promoting the extension and differentiation of osteoblasts. In vivo studies confirmed that GO-engineered implants enhanced antibacterial defenses, promoted inflammation resolution, and accelerated osteogenic regeneration. These results suggest the preclinical potential of GO-based surface modification for dental implants. By integrating antibacterial, immunomodulatory, and osteogenic functions, this implant demonstrates promising preliminary performance in promoting early osseointegration and short-term local biological stability, offering a candidate strategy for further implant design.