Improvement of osseointegration of titanium dental implant surfaces modified with CO ions: a comparative histomorphometric study in beagle dogs

Abstract The aim of this study was to compare carbon-oxygen (CO) ion implantation as a surface treatment with diamond-like carbon and commercially treated implants, including double acid-etched (Osseotite® ), oxidized (TiUnite® ) and sandblasted and acid-etched (SLA® ), using machine-turned titanium implants as control. A total of 72 dental implants divided into 6 groups were placed in the mandibles of 12 beagle dogs. Evaluation was performed by conventional light transmission microscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). The histological results obtained via ESEM demonstrated bone–implant contact percentage (%BIC) for implants treated with CO ion implantation of 61% and 62% at 3 and 6 months, respectively. At the same time points, the values were 48% and 45% for double acid-etched, 46% and 52% for sandblasted and acid-etched, 55% and 46% for oxidized, and 33% and 49% for machine-turned titanium control implants. Values of %BIC were statistically significantly higher in implants treated with CO ion implantation compared to the commercially treated implant group (p = 0.002 and p = 0.025) and the control implants (p = 0.001 and p = 0.032) at 3 and 6 months, respectively. No significant differences were observed between the three groups of commercially treated implants. The larger %BIC of the ion-implanted group was observable at an early stage.