IN VITRO EVALUATION OF SURFACE CLEANING METHODS IN TWO DIFFERENT IMPLANT DEFECT ANGULATIONS: A PILOT STUDY

Recently, prominence has been given to the use of power abrasive devices to improve the cleaning effectiveness on contaminated implant surfaces, and in an in-vitro study, it has been stated that air powder abrasion is the most efficient and less damaging cleaning modality in comparison to sonic scaler and curette for different defect morphologies15. However, there is a paucity of information on the use of air powder abrasive devices to reach a definite conclusion and it is warranted to perform comparative study designs evaluating the effectiveness. There is a new air-abrasive material called trehalose, a natural noncariogenic disaccharide with a good taste. It is thermostable and approved for use in food processing16. It is highly water-soluble (689g/L) with a pH of 6.4. In one clinical study, subgingival air-polishing with trehalose powder has revealed encouraging clinical outcomes17. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the cleaning potential of an air abrasive device with trehalose powder on implant surfaces in comparison to Er: YAG laser application in an in-vitro model of two different defect angulations.