Titanium implant surface roughness after different implantoplasty protocols: A laboratory study

OBJECTIVE: To compare the surface roughness of sandblasted, large grit, acid‐etched (SLA) surfaced titanium discs, after implantoplasty (IP) with different combinations of rotating instruments without or with the subsequent use of a silicone polisher. METHODS: Titanium discs (n = 12 per group) with an SLA surface were treated with the following IP protocols: (1) Tungsten carbide bur sequence from company 1 (Komet Dental) without or with polishing (P) with a silicone polisher (Brownie®), (2) tungsten carbide bur sequence from company 2 (Hager & Meisinger GmbH) without or with P, and (3) diamond bur sequence (125, 40, 15‐μm grit) without or with P. Pristine turned (T) and SLA titanium discs were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. Surface roughness measurements were taken with a contact profilometer rendering R ( a ) and R ( z ) values. RESULTS: All IP protocols, even without P, resulted in significantly reduced surface roughness compared to the SLA group. The tungsten carbide bur protocols, even without P, resulted in a surface roughness similar to or significantly lower than that in the T group in terms of R ( a ) and R ( z ), respectively. IP with the diamond bur sequence resulted in a significantly rougher surface compared to that achieved with the carbide burs. In all IP groups, P with a silicone polisher resulted in a significantly smoother surface. CONCLUSIONS: IP with dedicated tungsten carbide burs without or with the subsequent use of a silicone polisher resulted in a surface roughness similar to or significantly lower than that of commercially available turned surfaces. IP with a diamond bur sequence required additional polishing to achieve a comparable surface roughness to that of commercially available turned surfaces.