Do Oral Hygiene Methods Alter Titanium Implant Surfaces? An In Vitro Surface Roughness Analysis
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 31, 2026
Effects of Mechanical Methods Used in Peri-implantitis Treatment on Implant Surface Decontamination and Roughness
Published on: March 14, 2025
Vaishnavi Pandey1, Rupali Agnihotri1
1Department of Periodontology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India.
Objectives:
This study evaluated and compared the effects of three simulated daily oral hygiene regimens on the surface roughness (Ra) of titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) discs.
Methods:
Twenty-four Ti6Al4V discs were allocated to two groups based on baseline surface characteristics (n = 12/group): Group 1 (Polished) and Group 2 (Sandblasted). Each was subdivided into three 30-day regimens (n = 4/regimen): Regimen A (Chemical only: 0.2% chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) mouthrinse immersion), Regimen B (Combined electric toothbrushing [ETb] + fluoridated toothpaste [TP] + CHX after a 30-min washout), and Regimen C (mechanical control: ETb + distilled water). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) quantified Ra values at baseline and at 30 days. Data were evaluated using three-way mixed ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, and post hoc Bonferroni corrections (p < 0.05).
Results:
Three-way mixed ANOVA revealed a significant interaction among time, surface type, and regimen (F (2, 18) = 30.58, p < 0.001). Post hoc tests showed that Regimens A and B significantly increased Ra values in Group 1 (A: p = 0.0001; B: p = 0.001) and in Group 2 (A: p = 0.005; B: p = 0.0008). Conversely, Regimen C produced no significant alterations (p > 0.05). Baseline one-way ANOVA confirmed that Group 2 possessed significantly higher Ra values than Group 1 (p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
Exposure to therapeutic oral hygiene protocols (Regimens A and B) significantly elevated Ti6Al4V roughness, while isolated bristle friction (Regimen C) had a negligible impact. Pre-textured sandblasted surfaces exhibited greater vulnerability to structural wear than polished surfaces, highlighting the need for surface-specific, individualized implant hygiene protocols.
