Impact of Professional Hygiene Instruments on the Roughness of Implant Surfaces: An In Vitro Analysis

Introduction: This study highlights the importance of maintaining dental implants, particularly in the context of peri-implantitis. It emphasizes the need for dental hygienists to choose appropriate instruments that will not damage implant surfaces while effectively cleaning them. Materials and Methods: The research involved in vitro tests using 4 ultrasonic inserts for peri-implant mechanical instrumentation on one machined and one etched healing abutment, with a focus on how these instruments affect surface roughness. For each insert, four surface roughness measurements were recorded on each abutment. The data were then analyzed in two separate designs, one for the machined abutments and one for the etched abutments. The significance of the factors was determined by analyzing them using an ANOVA test. Results: The study found significant effects of surface treatment and instrument type on surface roughness parameters. Instrumentation tended to alter the roughness of machined surfaces more than etched ones, with notable differences in performance among the various inserts. Discussion: The results suggest that surface treatment has a more substantial impact on roughness than the choice of instrument. Future studies are encouraged to explore other parameters related to bacterial biofilm retention and the potential release of material from non-metallic inserts. Conclusions: Key findings include that surface treatment significantly influences surface roughness and that specific instruments can either increase or decrease roughness based on the type of surface.