The effects of Mg-ion implantation and sandblasting on Porphyromonas gingivalis attachment.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of titanium surface treatment on Porphyromonas gingivalis bacterial attachment.

Materials And Methods: Titanium disks of 15 mm in diameter and 1 mm in thickness (n=40) were subjected to mechanical grinding, or sandblasting. Magnesium (Mg) ions were implanted onto the titanium surface using a plasma source ion implantation method. The structure, chemistry, and surface morphologies of the titanium surfaces were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. Surface roughness was measured using a laser profilometer. Half of the titanium disks in each group were dipped in saliva for 24 h. All of the titanium specimens were rinsed with distilled water. A P. gingivalis strain was cultured in anaerobic conditions at 37°C for 72 h, and all titanium specimens were dipped in the bacterial suspension at 37°C for 24 h. Specimens were examined at × 3000 magnification using a SEM. The number of bacteria in each of 10 separate fields was determined by directly counting the number of bacterial colonies that adhered to each specimen. The mean values were calculated afterward. The resulting data were analyzed to assess the significance of observed differences based on the method of the surface treatment, ion implantation, and saliva dipping.

Results: The amount of P. gingivalis attached to the sandblasted specimens was greater than that on the ground specimens (P<0.001). Moreover, surfaces with Mg-ion implantation had more attachments than nonimplanted surfaces (P<0.001). Saliva dipping acted synergistically with surface roughness and chemical composition of the specimens.

Conclusions: Chemically modified surface increase the attachment of a major periodontopathic bacterium, P. gingivalis.