title: Surface characteristics of a novel hydroxyapatite-coated dental implant.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated the surface characteristics and bond strength produced using a novel technique for coating hydroxyapatite (HA) onto titanium implants.
  
  
  METHODS
  HA was coated on the titanium implant surface using a super-high-speed (SHS) blasting method with highly purified HA. The coating was performed at a low temperature, unlike conventional HA coating methods. Coating thickness was measured. The novel HA-coated disc was fabricated. X-ray diffraction analysis was performed directly on the disc to evaluate crystallinity. Four novel HA-coated discs and four resorbable blast medium (RBM) discs were prepared. Their surface roughnesses and areas were measured. Five puretitanium, RBM-treated, and novel HA-coated discs were prepared. Contact angle was measured. Two-way analysis of variance and the post-hoc Scheffe's test were used to analyze differences between the groups, with those with a probability of P<0.05 considered to be statistically significant. To evaluate exfoliation of the coating layer, 7 sites on the mandibles from 7 mongrel dogs were used. Other sites were used for another research project. In total, seven novel HA-coated implants were placed 2 months after extraction of premolars according to the manufacturer's instructions. The dogs were sacrificed 8 weeks after implant surgery. Implants were removed using a ratchet driver. The surface of the retrieved implants was evaluated microscopically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A uniform HA coating layer was formed on the titanium implants with no deformation of the RBM titanium surface microtexture when an SHS blasting method was used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These HA-coated implants exhibited increased roughness, crystallinity, and wettability when compared with RBM implants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Research Institute for Periodontal Regeneration, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ui-Won
authors.initials: UW
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Ji-Wan
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Da-Yae
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kyung-Seok
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Mi-Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Seong-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hee-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim