Effect of Implant Surface Decontamination Procedures on Surface Morphology-In Vitro Study

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Dental Implantology
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Peri-implantitis management relies heavily on effective implant surface decontamination.
• Various chemical and physical methods exist, but their comparative efficacy requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the in vitro efficacy of the GalvoSurge electrolytic cleaning device versus the AIRFLOW air-abrasive unit for dental implant surface decontamination.
• To evaluate stain removal and surface topography changes after treatment.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-two SLA-surfaced dental implants were contaminated with permanent ink and treated with either GalvoSurge or AIRFLOW.
• Residual stain was quantified using ImageJ, and surface topography was analyzed via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS).

Main Results:

• The GalvoSurge group demonstrated a statistically significant lower residual stain percentage (28.47%) compared to the AIRFLOW group (37.14%).
• The decontamination method's effectiveness was independent of the defect configuration.
• Complete elimination of residual contamination was not achieved by either method.

Conclusions:

• Electrochemical cleaning using galvanic current (GalvoSurge) appears more effective for in vitro stain removal and surface decontamination of dental implants than air-abrasive cleaning (AIRFLOW).
• Further research is needed to optimize decontamination protocols to achieve complete stain removal.