Double acid etching treatment of dental implants for enhanced biological properties

Background:The topographical features on the surface of dental implants have been considered as a critical parameter for enhancing the osseointegration of implants. In this work, we proposed a surface obtained by a combination of shot blasting and double acid etching. The double acid etching was hypothesized to increase the submicron topography and hence further stimulate the biological properties of the titanium implant.Methods:The topographical features (surface roughness and real surface area), wettability and surface chemical composition were analyzed.Results:The results showed that the proposed method produced a dual roughness, mainly composed of randomly distributed peaks and valleys with a superimposed nanoroughness, and hence with an increased specific surface area. Despite the fact that the proposed method does not introduce significant chemical changes, this treatment combination slightly increased the amount of titanium available on the surface, reducing potential surface contaminants. Furtherm...