Atomic Layer Deposition on Dental Materials: Processing Conditions and Surface Functionalization to Improve Properties - a Critical Review

Abstract

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is a well-established thin film deposition technique. It is being used for surface functionalization in different technologies and biological related applications. In the current work, ALD is elaborated as a promising method for surface modification of dental materials. Different aspects of conventional dental materials that can be enhanced using ALD are discussed. Also, the influence of different ALD thin films and their microstructure on the surface properties, corrosion-resistance, antibacterial activity, biofilm formation, and osteoblast compatibility are addressed. Depending on the stage of advancement for the studied materials reported in the literature, these studies are then categorized into four stages: fabrication & characterization, in vitro studies, in vivo studies, and human tests. Materials coated with ALD thin films with potential dental applications are also presented here and they are categorized as stage 1. The current study can serve as a guide for future work on using ALD for surface functionalization and resulting property tuning of materials in real world dental applications.