Pulsed laser-induced micro-and nanosized morphology and composition of titanium dental implants

Pulsed laser-induced micro-and nanosized morphology and composition of titanium dental implants
Print publication: Issue 5 (October 2002)
Received 3 July 2002, in final form 17 July 2002
Published 20 September 2002
° Jo€b-Fancsaly1, T Divinyi1, ° Fazekas2, Cs Daroczi1, A Karacs3 and G Pet?3
Institute of Physics and IOP Publishing Limited

Abstract. The surface morphology of machined screw-shaped titanium dental implants was modified by pulsed irradiation with an Nd glass laser. This method supplied very different surface elements in nanometer and micrometer ranges identified with scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy as well. The surface composition was unchanged during these treatments. A rabbit experiment was carried out to investigate the direct bone contact (osseointegration) which was characterized by the removal torque of the implants. The 50 nm and 10̉50 µm sized droplike elements were formed from the machined flat surface by the laser irradiation depending on the laser intensity. The osseointegration was enhanced by the increase of the density of nanosized elements and by the size of the microsized elements, showing the importance of this surface morphology in the direct bonẻimplant contact.