Surface Treatment of Implants

The concept of implanting foreign objects to replace lost teeth has begun in early civilization and has progressed thus far. Despite the impressive clinical accomplishments with oral and maxillofacial implants and the undisputed fact that implants have improved the lives of millions of patients, it is nevertheless disquieting that key information is still missing about the fundamental principles underlying their design and clinical use. The surface quality of an implant depends on the chemical, physical, mechanical and topographical properties of its surface. As a general rule, an ideal implant biomaterial should present a surface that will not disrupt, and that may even enhance, the general processes of bone healing, regardless of the implantation site, bone quantity, and bone quality. Several implant surface modifications have been used to improve the quantity and quality of the bone-to-implant interface. The success or failure of an implant lies in its ability to osseointegrate with the surrounding bone. The osseointegration rate of dental implants is related to their composition and surface roughness.