Every surface has a story to tell – and every surface matters; and in the case of implantology… it’s all about the osseointegration process. For more than 60 years, since the concept was first brought to the public, continuous research and development in this domain have lead to great achievements in the surface, design, and materials used in implants. But how are all these connected to the surface? All elements contribute to the success of the procedure – let us dive into the nano details of the surface and its connection to excellence.

Osseointegration at a Glance

In short, the process of osseointegration is the connection established between the living bone and the surface of a titanium implant. The implant design, including the form, structure, or irregularities of the surface, are crucial for the healthy, long-term success of the osseointegration process.

The surface of the implants is processed both mechanically and chemically through particle blasting and acid etching. Both processes have the purpose of changing the surface energy at nano levels.
The microsurface morphological roughness increases the Bone-Implant-Contact, meaning improvement of mechanical anchorage for better primary stability. As better primary stability is achieved, cellular adhesion is favored, increasing the success of the implant procedure.

When checking how a quality surface can lead to a faster osseointegration process, it’s important to also find out which are the institutions standing behind the research. In the case of Tag Dental, using XPS and SEM technologies, two different institutions, Technion, Institute of Technology in Israel, and the Bochum University, Institute of Pathology in Germany confirmed the connection between qualitative surface and faster healing. Through macroscopic examinations of endosseous implant surface samples prepared by particle blasting and acid etching, two main points are revealed:

• The surface samples become fully covered by bone;
• The microscopic images can detect the presence of a newly formed bone;

There is no doubt that the implant surface is crucial in achieving the best results, having the ability to provide both primary stability and full osseointegration in the long term.

Surface – a hallmark of success

The new generation of implants is the result of extensive research and development targeting the best biological response. But what is the connection between surface and successful clinical cases?

Primarily, a multi-stage cleaning process removes any undesired organic and inorganic contamination derived from processing procedures, providing a high degree of safety and cleanliness.

Secondly, state-of-the-art surface treatment creates macro, micro, and nano surface structures that enlarge the Bone-to-Implant contact area, ultimately leading to faster healing, as well as the possibility of early restoration even for the most challenging of cases.

And finally, an implant system must work as a whole – from the unique platform switching and tapered body designs, to micro and nano details, the system must ensure accurate and firm insertion and long-lasting quality.

We are looking forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts about this topic. To learn more about the latest innovation in implantology, visit our Tag Resource Center and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.