Biocompatibility of polysulfone composite materials for dental implant.

As a part of the work designed to find a material suitable for a dental implant, tissue reaction of various kinds of polysulfone composite materials has first been studied by implantation in the femur of rats and in the mandible of rabbits. Histological examination showed that the porous polysulfone composite containing 20 wt.% of tricalcium phosphate exhibited a favorable osteogenesis. The tooth replica implants made of this composite material were inserted into the extraction sockets of dogs. During 5.5 months of observation, horizontal or diagonal orientation of periodontal fibers, no epithelization, and no alveolar bone resorption were noted. This study suggests a promising feasibility of the polysulfone-calcium phosphate composite material as a dental implant material.