In vitro analysis of the efficacy of ultrasonic scalers and a toothbrush for removing bacteria from resorbable blast material titanium disks.
BACKGROUND
A resorbable blast material (RBM) surface is reported to have a higher bone-to-implant contact percentage than machined surfaces, but modified surfaces with rougher textures have been shown to favor colonization by bacteria and development of peri-implantitis. Therefore, this in vitro study compares the effects of different instruments on surface roughness and removal of bacteria from RBM titanium implant disks.


METHODS
RBM titanium disks were treated with various ultrasonic scaler tips and a toothbrush, and change in surface roughness was measured by confocal microscopy. The disks were incubated with bacteria, and instruments made of carbon or plastic, two metal ultrasonic scaler tips, or a toothbrush were used to remove the attached bacteria. The amount of remaining bacteria was evaluated using a crystal violet assay.


RESULTS
The change in surface structure following different treatment modalities was analyzed by confocal microscopy. A statistically significant decrease in the arithmetic mean value of RBM surfaces (R(a)) was observed after treatment with an ultrasonic scaler with a metal tip. The use of a metal tip (rather than a carbon or plastic tip) and brushing with dentifrice was more efficient in removing bacteria from the contaminated titanium surface according to the crystal violet assay.


CONCLUSIONS
Within the limits of this study, the use of a metal tip may be effective in removing bacteria from contaminated surfaces.
Department of Periodontics, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
Jun-Beom
JB
Park
Yun Ji
YJ
Jang
Minchul
M
Koh
Bong-Kyu
BK
Choi
Kack-Kyun
KK
Kim
Youngkyung
Y
Ko
D000497:Alloys / Q000737:chemistry; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D058491:Bacterial Load; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000737:chemistry*; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003802:Dentifrices / Q000737:chemistry; D004867:Equipment Design; D005840:Gentian Violet; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D010969:Plastics / Q000737:chemistry; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D013499:Surface Properties; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014465:Ultrasonics / Q000295:instrumentation*
D000497:Alloys; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003764:Dental Materials; D003802:Dentifrices; D010969:Plastics; D002244:Carbon; D014025:Titanium; D005840:Gentian Violet