Laser Treatment of Dental Implants toward an Optimized Osseointegration: Evaluation via Tapping-Mode Atomic Force Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy

Surface modifications of dental implants play a crucial role for material stability, durability, and patient contentment; hence optimization of the commonly used techniques can have significant impact. Surface properties affect the osseointegration of implants; however, the surface for the optimal osseointegration is still being researched. Herein, the surface roughness and topography of dental implant screws after polishing, sandblasting, and laser treatment via tapping-mode atomic force microscopy are investigated. The measurements are performed at the implants’ shank, crest, and root sites and evaluated for surface roughness, kurtosis, and skew values. Laser-treated and sandblasted samples have a significantly higher roughness compared to the machined sample. The roughness at the root of the samples is higher in case of the laser-treated and machined samples, while lower for the sandblasted implant. It is found that laser treatment leads to a roughness lower than that of sandblasted dental screws but significantly higher than that of mechanically polished implants. Differences in the roughness at different topological sites show the need for more precise treatment of implants in order to optimize the roughness.