Lack of corundum, carbon residues and revealing gaps on dental implants

Abstract: Surface modification is an important topic to improve dental implants. Corundum residues, which are part of current dental implant blasting, disappeared on Straumann dental implants in recent publications. In our investigations of the surface of 4 different Straumann implants using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) we found the following three main findings: surfaces are nearly corundum-free, disseminated gap-framed corundum particles and significant molecular carbon residues. The data strongly suggest that Straumann applies a modified surface technology on dental implants to remove corundum residues and involving unclear carbons. One explanation could be, a Straumann patent involving a dextran coating allowing easy corundum particle removal by aqueous solution, while unintended molecular carbon residues cannot explain all findings. This change of the production process without a new approval by the FDA would be a violation of US federal law and the carbon bindings are a possible danger to patients.