Calcium phosphate ceramics like hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP) are good candidates for bone substitutes due to their chemical similarity to bone minerals. Additionally, the biodegradation property of bone substitutes may allow the organism to replace the foreign material by fully functional new bone in a balanced time schedule. Thus, the coating of biodegradable calcium phosphate ceramics on dental implants was conducted in this study to enhance the biocompatibility and eliminate the long-term adverse effects of HA coated implants. First, biodegradable calcium metaphosphate(CMP) sol was prepared and then coated on cp-Ti substrates by a dip-spin coating technique. The coated specimens were heat-treated at 600 degrees C for 6 h. CMP coated layer on cp-Ti was smooth and uniform with fine grains. It is observed that bone-to-implant contact area of CMP coated specimen at both 2 and 6 weeks was significantly higher than that of non-coated group. The biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of the CMP coated specimen were better than those of the non-coated specimen. Therefore, the CMP coating on cp-Ti is a good candidate for improving bone-to-implant osseointegration, although it is difficult to extrapolate in vitro results directly to in vivo situation. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.