Effects of various hygiene procedures on the surface characteristics of titanium abutments
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of various cleaning procedures on the surface microstructure. Five new titanium abutments were treated on marked surface areas with a prototype of a pure titanium cures, a steel cures Nrl4, a plastic cures, an air-abrasive polishing system, and an ultrasonic system. One marked area was left untreated on each abutment as a reference. Custom-made polymer templates, used to secure the cures to a vertical guide bar, and a spring scale to maintain a constant instrument pressure (420 N), guaranteed a standardized procedure and reproducible results. The ultrasonic and the air-abrasive polishing methods also were standardized.
Evaluation of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed surface alteration for all instruments and systems except the plastic cures, which did not roughen the surface at all. The confocal laserscanning microscope allows a three-dimensional reproduction of these surface alterations and their direct measurement. The profilametric tracing was not sensitive enough to register the minor effects caused by the titanium cures and the air-abrasive polishing system. Dimensions of the resulting surface microstructure could be determined with the laserscanning microscope. Since the influence of such surface defects on the peri-implant tissue reaction is unpredictable, the titanium cures and the abrasive system can be recommended only with restrictions. The steel cures and the ultrasonic system proved to be totally unsuitable for cleaning titanium implants. [M.R.]
Meschenmoser, A., B. d'Hoedt, J. Meyle, G. Elbner, D. Korn, H. Hammerle, and W. Schulte, J Periodont, 67:229,1996