This study relates to a new apatite material which is biocompatible and exhibits radio-opacity, enhancing its utility in the dental and medical fields. The bismuth-substituted hydroxyapatite was obtained by means of wet chemical method, that is, by co-precipitation reactions. The effects of the bismuth substitution for calcium on the morphology and optical proprieties of the resulting powder were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Bi-substituted hydroxyapatite is radio-opaque, and it can be detected by X-rays and computed tomography.

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