Behavior of Human Gingival Epithelial Cells on Titanium Following Abrasion of the Adjunctive Glycine Air Polishing Powder

Abstract

Treatment to replace missing teeth with implants has been available for nearly 50 years. However, many implants are subject to peri-implantitis because of resorption of the bone supporting the implant. Therefore periodontal maintenance to avoid bacterial infection around an implant device is essential. There are several methods of maintenance available to remove bacterial infections. One of these methods involves the direct removal of bacterial infection in the implant sulcus using tooth surface abrasives. Abrasives that contain glycine are recommended because of their biocompatibility with the tooth surface. The purpose of this study was to examine the cellular behavior of human gingival epithelial cells on the surface after abrasion with adjunctive glycine air-polishing powder. We treated the titanium surface with air-polishing abrasives containing glycine or sodium bicarbonate, then examined the structural surface change and wettability, as well as the proliferative potency and gene expression of adherent gingival epithelial cells. The glycine-containing abrasives exhibited higher biocompatibility than the sodium bicarbonate abrasive, and the use of abrasives with small average particle size may be useful in the removal of bacterial infections around implants.