Critical Role of Etching Parameters in the Evolution of Nano Micro SLA Surface on the Ti6Al4V Alloy Dental Implants

Abstract

The surface of dental implants plays a vital role in early and more predictable osseointegration. SLA (sandblasted large grit and acid-etched) represents the most widely accepted, long-term clinically proven surface. Primarily, dental implants are manufactured by either commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti) or Ti6Al4V ELI alloy. The acid etch behavior of CP-Ti is well known and its effects on the surface microstructure and physicochemical properties have been studied by various researchers in the past. However, there is a lack of studies showing the effect of acid etching parameters on the Ti6Al4V alloy surface. The requirement of the narrow diameter implants necessitates implant manufacturing from alloys due to their high mechanical properties. Hence, it is necessary to have an insight on the behavior of acid etching of the alloy surface as it might be different due to changed compositions and microstructure, which can further influence the osseointegration process. The present research was carried out to study the effect of acid etching parameters on Ti6Al4V ELI alloy surface properties and the optimization of process parameters to produce micro- and nanotopography on the dental implant surface. This study shows that the Ti6Al4V ELI alloy depicts an entirely different surface topography compared to CP-Ti. Moreover, the surface topography of the Ti6Al4V ELI alloy was also different when etching was done at room temperature compared to high temperature, which in turn affected the behavior of the cell on these surfaces. Both microns and nano-level topography were achieved through the optimized parameters of acid etching on Ti6Al4V ELI alloy dental implant surface along with improved roughness, hydrophilicity, and enhanced cytocompatibility.

Latest Trends in Surface Modification for Dental Implantology: Innovative Developments and Analytical Applications

“…Titanium surfaces exposed to acid-etching process have demonstrated positive results related to an increase in the roughness and osteogenic response due to the proliferation, adherence, and differentiation of osteogenic cells [80][81][82]. However, in cases of an uncontrolled process, with over-etching or under-etching of the surface, an important variation in mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, or biocompatibility have been observed [83].…”

Enhanced osseointegration of drug eluting nanotubular dental implants: An in vitro and in vivo study

“…The machined (M) implants were used as-machined after cleaning and sterilization without any additional treatment. The acid-etched (AE) implants were grit-blasted with alumina particles with an average size of 250–500 μm and acid etching was done as per previous protocols [ 29 , 30 ]. For the nanotubular implants, nanotubes were fabricated by electrochemical anodization followed by annealing and UV as per filed patent (Indian Patent Application No: 202111000795).…”

Tailoring Ti Grade 2 and TNTZ alloy surfaces in a two-step mechanical–chemical modification

“…Decreasing peening pressure to 0.2 MPa allowed to limit unfavourable cracking and cavities, which indicates on the high potential of transferring this treatment to the industry. In implantology, further modifications of mechanically treated surfaces frequently involve chemical etching [8,52,54,72]. This method not only permits further changes in a material's surface topography; it also results in the removal of contaminations and residues after shot peening [53,72].…”

“…In implantology, further modifications of mechanically treated surfaces frequently involve chemical etching [8,52,54,72]. This method not only permits further changes in a material's surface topography; it also results in the removal of contaminations and residues after shot peening [53,72]. The results obtained for the Ti Grade 2 and TNTZ alloy surfaces after shot peening and chemical etching are shown in Figures 6-9.…”