Direct cueing by pulsed-waterjet treated titanium on fibroblast, osteoblastic and human stem cells for prospective use in dental implants

•Pulsed-water jet (PWJ) allows for multivariate control over surface preparation.•Nozzle velocity presents with a biphasic relationship with nanoscale roughness.•Saos-2 exhibit greatest proliferation on T4.83, with greatest microscale roughness.•Osteogenic differentiation is superior on T2.43, with greatest nanoscale roughness. Pulsed-waterjet (PWJ) technology holds potential for the biologically effective surface treatment of dental titanium implants. In addition to the proliferative response of in vitro models for gingiva (NIH/3T3s) and bone (Saos-2) cells, our study investigates the osteogenic potential of PWJ-treated titanium surfaces by employing human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). The greatest proliferation of fibroblast NIH/3T3 and osteoblast-like Saos-2 cells was elicited on T1.76 and T4.83 treatment conditions, respectively. Morphological traits and the nuclear localization of an osteogenic reporter (OSX) indicate preferential osteogenic differentiation on the T2.43 condition. This work demonstrates the potential of PWJ technology for surface modification, supporting its technological translation as a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and contaminant-free method to incorporate novel bioactive properties into titanium implants.