The effect of standardised implantoplasty protocol on titanium surface roughness: an in-vitro study

Abstract: To analyse the changes of surface characteristics of machined and moderately roughened titanium disks following a standardised implantoplasty protocol. Forty titanium discs (machined: n = 20; moderately roughened: n = 20) were instrumented with one half of each disc maintained as the control (non-instrumented). The standardised implantoplasty protocol was carried out using a custom jig with the sequential change of burs: 1) Regular grit diamond [10s], 2) Super-fine grit diamond [10s], 3) Brownie(tm) silicone polisher [15s], 4) Greenie(tm) silicone polisher [15s]. Surface topography was analysed using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was used to measure the elemental profiles of each disc. Quantitative analysis showed similar changes in level of roughness between the machined and moderately roughened titanium discs. CLSM demonstrated an increased roughness (Ra and Sa values) after polishing with a regular grit diamond bur when compared to the uninstrumented surfaces. Although the roughness decreased after the further polishing with the super-fine grit diamond bur, subsequent instrumentation using silicon burs tended to increase the roughness, albeit being statistically insignificant. There was a residue of silicon particles despite the irrigation after each polishing stage. The proposed implantoplasty protocol did not achieve a sufficient level of smoothness on the machined or moderately roughened titanium surfaces when compared to the Ra threshold. Further research is recommended to test the efficacy of each bur on titanium surfaces with longer duration using actual oral implants to allow better comparison.

Changes in surface characteristics of moderately roughened grade iv titanium disc following a standardised implantoplasty technique: an in-vitro study

Aim: To analyze the changes in surface characteristics of moderately roughened grade IV titanium discs following a standardized implantoplasty protocol. Materials and Method: Nine moderately roughened titanium discs (ø9.0 mm; 2-mm thickness) with a comparable surface to commercially available oral implants (Southern Implants (Pty) Ltd, Irene, South Africa) were used. One disc was used as a control sample while the remaining 8 discs were modified using a standardized technique. Each disc was divided into 4 sections of which each quadrant was instrumented in the same manner. Regular grit and superfine grit diamond burs were used for 10s each, followed by brown and green silicone burs for 15s respectively. The surface characteristics of all samples were analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Results: SEM analysis of the surfaces showed that as the instrumentation progressed from diamond burs to silicone burs, surface irregularities began to diminish. However, using silicone burs tended to increase the amount of surface debris and the roughness still remained significantly higher than the control sample. EDS identified some foreign elements originating from the silicone burs that were used. Conclusion: The proposed standardized implantoplasty protocol did not decrease the roughness of the surface below that of the control disc. The clinical implications of foreign elements remaining on the titanium surfaces need further investigation.