Pilot In Vitro Study to Assess Cleaning Ability and Effects of Different Decontamination Methods on Implant Surfaces

The scope of this study is to compare the clinical efficacy and surface effects of three commonly used mechanical decontamination methods for implant surfaces in vitro. To begin, prepare a custom-made acrylic splint to position the camera with angulations of 30 degrees for the upper view and 60 degrees for the lower view relative to the implant long axis to assess the coronal and apical threads in a standardized manner. Position the implant and apply three different decontamination methods separately to the exposed buccal and oral surfaces per implant commonly used in the treatment of peri-implantitis.

Perform each method for two minutes by a single operator to eliminate bias, and control the instrumentation time with a stopwatch. Place the camera 15 centimeters away from the implant surface. Take standardized photographs at a frontal view of zero degrees from the longitudinal implant axis at the buccal and oral surfaces of each implant before and after decontamination.

None of the treated surfaces showed complete removal of ink stain following decontamination. Residual ink percentages varied depending on the device used and the angulation of the photographs. At the buccal and oral frontal views, TiB resulted in the lowest residual stain percentage at 75.98%followed by TiC at 80.31%and ChB at 90.34%At 60-degree views, all groups showed high levels of residual staining, indicating reduced cleaning efficacy in deeper implant regions.

Scanning electron microscopy examination showed that all treatment techniques modified the implant surface in contrast to the negative control, which retained the original uniformly rough topography. Among the treatments, TiB caused minimal surface alterations while TiC and ChB induced extensive surface changes and irregularities. Horizontal scratches were particularly prominent on implants treated with TiC.

This study shows that titanium brushes clean implants most effectively with minimal damage, while titanium curettes and chitosan brushes cause more alteration and decontamination. These findings highlight the limitations of the existing methods and the need of combined or improved decontamination strategies. Feature research will focus on understanding methods to fully decontaminate the implant surfaces without causing damage by combining mechanical tools with chemical or electrolytic methods.