Volume 27, Issue 3 p. 329-340
Original Article

Effects of decontamination solutions on the surface of titanium: investigation of surface morphology, composition, and roughness

Sutton E. Wheelis,

Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA

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Izabelle M. Gindri,

Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA

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Pilar Valderrama,

Private Practice of Periodontics, Dallas, TX, USA

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Thomas G. Wilson Jr,

Private Practice of Periodontics, Dallas, TX, USA

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Jessica Huang,

Private Practice of Periodontics, Dallas, TX, USA

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Danieli C. Rodrigues,

Corresponding Author

Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA

Corresponding author:

Danieli C. Rodrigues

800 W. Campbell Road

Richardson, Texas 75080-3021, USA

Tel.: 972 883 4703

Fax: 972 883 4653

e-mail: Danieli@utdallas.edu

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First published: 12 January 2015
Citations: 30

Abstract

Aim

To investigate the impact of treatments used to detoxify dental implants on the oxide layer morphology and to infer how changes in morphology created by these treatments may impact re-osseointegration of an implant.

Materials and methods

Pure titanium (cpTi) and the alloy Ti6Al4V were subjected to a series of chemical treatments and mechanical abrasion simulating surface decontamination of dental implants. The morphology and roughness of the surface layer before and after treatment with these solutions were investigated with optical and atomic force microscopy (OM, AFM). The solutions employed are typically used for detoxification of dental implants. These included citric acid, 15% hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine gluconate, tetracycline, doxycycline, sodium fluoride, peroxyacetic acid, and treatment with carbon dioxide laser. The treatments consisted of both immersions of samples in solution and rubbing with cotton swabs soaked in solution for 1, 2, and 5 min. Cotton swabs used were analyzed with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).

Results

The microscopy investigation showed that corrosion and pitting of the samples were present in both metal grades with immersion and rubbing methods when employing more acidic solutions, which had pH <3. Mildly acidic solutions caused surface discoloration when coupled with rubbing but did not cause corrosion with immersion. Neutral or basic treatments resulted in no signs of corrosion with both methods. EDS results revealed the presence of titanium particles on all rubbing samples.

Conclusion

It was demonstrated in this study that acidic environments coupled with rubbing are able to introduce noticeable morphological changes and corrosion on the surface of both titanium grades.

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