Decontamination of biofilm-contaminated implant surfaces: An in vitro evaluation

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cleaning efficacy of two mechanical and two chemical protocols in the decontamination of implant surfaces.

In total, 123 commercially available implants were mounted in plastic models mimicking peri-implant circumferential intra-bony defects. A multispecies biofilm was grown on implant surfaces. Mechanical (air-polishing (AP), rotating titanium brush (TiB)) and chemical decontamination (alkaline electrolyzed water, N-acetyl-L-cysteine) protocols were used. Cleaning efficacy in terms of residual biofilm area, chemical surface properties, and bacterial counts were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Surface decontamination protocols including use of an AP device or a rotating TiB were superior in terms of biofilm removal and in reducing atomic% of Carbon on implant surfaces when compared to methods restricted to wiping with gauze. The use of chemical agents as adjuncts to the mechanical cleaning protocols provided no relevant overall benefit over saline. No treatment modality, however, resulted in complete biofilm removal.

Air-polishing and rotating TiB were more effective implant surface decontamination protocols than wiping with gauzes. Use of chemical agents did not improve cleaning efficacy.