Characterization of new and retrieved titanium biomaterial for dental implants

Dental implants serve as a reliable treatment option for replacing missing teeth.The important properties for implant materials are, besides biocompatibility, adequate strength, corrosion, wear and fracture resistance.The most important step in the stability of the implant is a structural and functional connection between the implant's surface and the newly formed bone, which is called osseointegration.It comprises a cascade of complex physiological mechanisms.The implant's surface characteristics and roughness are the most important in achieving the biomechanical concept of secondary stability.Nowadays, dental implants are produced from metals, ceramics or even polymers.Rehabilitations with titanium and titanium-alloy dental implants have shown long-term survival; therefore, they have become a gold standard to replace missing teeth.In the study we investigated new and retrieved dental implants and restorative materials, commercially pure titanium (cpTi), the Ti6Al4V alloy and CoCrMo alloys using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy for the surface morphology and microstructure.Energy-dispersive spectroscopy was used for the chemical analyses.The results showed that the surfaces of the Ti and Ti6Al4V implants were roughened by corundum (Al2O3) blasting, and the corundum contamination was found not only on the surface but also in the sub-surface of the new and retrieved dental implants.It is assumed that the retained corundum Al2O3 contamination on the surface of the Ti or Ti-alloy affects the osseointegration and longevity of the dental-implant rehabilitation.