Titanium dental implants with different morphologies

There are two main mechanisms of bone-dental implant attachment: mechanical attachment and chemical attachment. Roughness mainly improves mechanical attachment and permits bone growth through pores or features on the surface of the implant. The surface ability to adsorb organic molecules like proteins is directly related to biocompatibility. In this context, surface roughness has been found to positively influence the cell response to titanium implants. In the present work, pure titanium dental implants were analysed with four different surface finishes: as machined, acid etched, as Al2O3 blasted, and as TiO2 blasted. Samples of the dental implants were inserted in rabbit bone. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used in the implant surface analysis, while laser profilometry was used to characterise the roughness of the surfaces. The implant that was Al2O3 sandblasted had a roughness value similar to that obtained for TiO2 shot peening. The acid etched dental implant presented the smoothest surface morphology. After a healing period of 14 weeks, the highest removal torque was needed to unscrew the dental implant blasted with TiO2 particles. (C) 2002 IoM Communications Ltd.