The surface roughnesses of pure titanium implants were compared after scaling in vitro with curettes of dissimilar composition. Each of 10 transmucosal implant extensions (TIEs) was divided into three experimental surfaces and an untreated control surface. The three experimental surfaces were instrumented with either a titanium‐alloy tipped curette, a curette of stainless steel, or a plastic curette. All experimental surfaces received 30 strokes with the designated curette within a 2 mm wide area. Alteration of the surfaces due to instrumentation was evaluated by a helium neon (HeNe) laser and reported as relative specular reflectance (RSR). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the quantitative HeNe laser results. A significant decrease in mean RSR (greater roughness) was observed for surfaces treated by metal curettes compared to either untreated control surfaces (P < 0.01) or surfaces treated by the plastic curette (P < 0.01). No statistically significant difference was noted between untreated surfaces and those treated by the plastic curette. The titanium‐alloy curette produced a significantly lower mean RSR (greater roughness) compared to those surfaces treated by the stainless steel curette (P < 0.05). In summary, plastic instruments produced an insignificant alteration of the titanium implant surface following instrumentation, while metal instruments significantly altered the titanium surface. J Periodontol 1990; 61:485–490.
This study examined the ability of tissue culture fibroblasts to attach and colonize on the surface of pure titanium dental implants following instrumentation of the implant surface with curettes of dissimilar composition. Pure titanium dental implants were scaled with a plastic, titanium‐alloy, or stainless steel curette and then immersed in a cell suspension of 3T3 fibroblasts. Counts of attached cells were made at 24 and 72 hours; the implants were then processed for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). At 24 hours, only surfaces scaled with a stainless steel curette showed a significant reduction in number of attached cells relative to untreated control surfaces. At 72 hours, both stainless steel and titanium‐alloy curette instrumented surfaces showed significantly fewer attached cells than untreated control surfaces, with the greatest reduction in cell attachment observed on the stainless steel curette instrumented surfaces. SEM observations showed that fibroblasts on stainless steel instrumented surfaces tended to show a somewhat rounded morphology and a relatively reduced degree of spreading; while fibroblasts on untreated control, plastic, or titanium‐alloy instrumented surfaces showed a well‐spread, polygonal morphology, more typical of fibroblasts in favorable culture conditions. To the extent that such observations of cell attachment and morphology are indicative of in vivo biocompatibility, these findings could have clinical implications for the proper maintenance of titanium dental implants. J Periodontol 1990; 61:491–496.
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