Dental Implants Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Dental Implants, including details on dentistry, surgery, tooth implants.

Influence of different treatment approaches on the removal of early plaque biofilms and the viability of SAOS2 osteoblasts grown on titanium implants.

Schwarz F, Sculean A, Romanos G, Herten M, Horn N, Scherbaum W, Becker J

Department of Oral Surgery, Westdeutsche Kieferklinik, Heinrich Heine University, Moorenstr. 5, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany. info@frank-schwarz.de

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of different treatment approaches on: (1) the removal of early plaque biofilms grown on titanium implants, and (2) the biocompatibility of the instrumented implant surfaces. Five volunteers wore acrylic splints with sand-blasted and acid-etched titanium discs for 24 h to build up supragingival plaque. A total of 80 specimens were randomly assigned to the following groups: (1) an Er:YAG laser (100 mJ/pulse, 10 Hz) (Y), (2) an ultrasonic system (U), (3) plastic curettes and rinsing with chlorhexidine digluconate (P), or (4) unworn titanium discs (C). Autoclaved specimens were incubated with SAOS2 cells for three days. The following parameters were measured: treatment time (T), residual plaque biofilm (RPB) and clean implant surface (CIS) areas (%), and mitochondrial cell activity (MA) (counts/s). Statistical analysis within and between groups revealed the following mean scores (+/-SD): RPB areas: P (61.1+/-11.4)>U (36.8+/-4.5)>Y (5.8+/-5.1); CIS areas: Y (94.2+/-5.1)>U (63.2+/-4.5)>P (38.9+/-11.2); T: Y (5.6+/-1.2)>U (2.4+/-0.5)>P (2.3+/-0.5); MA: C (1.528.636+/-188.371)>U (831.594+/-370.228)>Y (678.250+/-367.902)>P (144.105+/-120.961). Within the limits of the present study, it may be concluded that Y seems to be most suitable for the removal of supragingival early plaque biofilms grown on SLA titanium implants, and (2) all treatment procedures failed to restore the biocompatibility of previously-contaminated SLA titanium surfaces.

Published 16 June 2005 in Clin Oral Investig, 9(2): 111-7.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Dental Implants Research Today. All Rights Reserved.