A Histological Study on the Bone Tissues Surrounding Coated and Non-Coated Titanium Implants in Beagle Dogs

Abstract

Dental implant therapy is now increasingly recommended for rehabilitation of partially and totally edentulous patients. The frequent application of dental implant as an alternative treatment modality is due to the high clinical success rate attributed to the osseointegration between implants and bone tissues. Osseointegration is a histologic term meaning “a direct structural and functional connection between ordered, living bone and the surface of a load-carrying implant at the light microscopic level.1) For osseointegration to occur, the biocompatibility of implant material, the surface topography of the implant and the state of the host bed are needed to be controlled2). A number of implant materials-including titanium and hydroxyapatite-are biocompatible. But, there is less agreement as to what constitutes an ideal design3). The rapidity of osseointegration may vary with different materials4). Commercially-pure titanium has a predictable interaction with the environment5, 6). Good tissue tolerance seems to depend on the adherent oxide layer formed within a millisecond of exposure to air7). This layer, rather than the metal itself, determines the interaction between implants and tissues.8, 9) Also, surface energy properties seem to be important in establishing initial cell adhesion and implant fixation.10~12) A clean, sterile, organic free, highly charged titanium oxide surface was reported to be ideal for bioadhesion10). In alloyed form, titanium is most commonly mixed with 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium(Ti-6Al-4V) for the improvement of the mechanical properties of pure titanium13). Titanium or titanium alloy can be used in form of substructures coated with a thin layer of hydroxyapatite or a plasma-spray technique14, 15). In order to 대한치주과학회지 : Vol. 27, No. 1, 1997