Comparative study of cell interaction and bacterial adhesion on titanium of different composition, structure and surfaces with various laser treatment

Titanium and its alloys are commonly used in modern implantology. Cell viability on the surface of titanium implants depends on the surface topography, roughness, and wettability. Laser treatment is a successful method to control the surface morphology. The aim of this study was to comprehensively investigate the effects of laser ablation on titanium surfaces and their interactions with cells and bacteria. Cell adhesion, proliferation, and bacterial retention on smooth and laser-textured samples of commercially pure and nanostructured titanium of two grades were evaluated. Femtosecond laser treatment effectively enhances the wettability. Titanium grade four exhibits superior adhesion and proliferation rates when compared to titanium grade two. The cytotoxicity of nanostructured titanium is significantly lower, regardless of the surface treatment. Laser treatment resulted in increased short-term cell proliferation on grade two titanium and long-term cell proliferation on nanostructured grade two titanium only. Although the laser ablation has a limited effect on bacterial adhesion, the coverage of less than 1% in most samples indicates that the material itself has an antibacterial effect on the bacterial strain Streptococcus oralis . These findings provide valuable insights into how different material structures and surface treatments can affect cellular response and antibacterial properties for potential use in dental implantology.