Abstract
Organic contaminants significantly limit the bioactivity of titanium implants, resulting in the degradation known as the ageing of titanium. To reactivate the surfaces, they can be photofunctionalized, i.e., irradiated with C-range ultraviolet (UVC) light. This descriptive in vitro study compares the effectiveness of novel light-emitting diode (LED) technology to remove contaminant hydrocarbons from three different commercially available titanium dental implants: THD, TiUnite, and SLA. The surface topography and morphology were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The chemical compositions were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), before and after the lighting treatment, by a pair of closely placed UVC (λ = 278 nm) and LED devices for 24 h. SEM analysis showed morphological differences at the macro- and micro-scopic level. XPS analysis showed a remarkable reduction in the carbon contents after the UVC treatment: from 25.6 to 19.5 C at. % (carbon atomic concentration) in the THD; from 30.2 to 20.2 C at. % in the TiUnite; from 26.1 to 19.2 C at. % in the SLA surface. Simultaneously, the concentration of oxygen and titanium increased. Therefore, LED-based UVC irradiation decontaminated titanium surfaces and improved the chemical features of them, regardless of the kind of surface.
Highlights
Most dental implants are made of titanium (Ti) due to its high corrosion resistance, low modulus of elasticity, good fatigue strength, and non-cytotoxic features, resulting in a favorable biocompatible material with excellent osseointegration ability, defined as a direct, strong, stable, and durable connection in function between artificial implants and bone [1,2]
The topographic and morphologic features of the three different titanium dental surfaces were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (Figure 1)
After 24 h of irradiation, all titanium dental implants showed a significant drop in hydrocarbon indices, associated with a sharp increase in O and Ti concentration
Summary
Most dental implants are made of titanium (Ti) due to its high corrosion resistance, low modulus of elasticity, good fatigue strength, and non-cytotoxic features, resulting in a favorable biocompatible material with excellent osseointegration ability, defined as a direct, strong, stable, and durable connection in function between artificial implants and bone [1,2] It is not sufficient and, despite their high long-term predictability [3,4], several external factors limit the osseointegration of Ti-based implants, which may cause implant failure, such as the presence of poor bone quality and quantity, bone defects, systematic diseases, or bacterial infections [5,6]. Several investigations have reported changes in the presence of chemical elements, especially carbon contents, associated with the different surface treatments to which the titanium dental implants are subjected [16,17]
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