Abstract
The pathogenesis of peri-implantitis is a major problem associated with long-term dental implant use. Peri-implantitis is defined as a series of inflammatory reactions affecting the tissues around an osseointegrated dental implant, resulting in loss of the supporting alveolar bone. Conventional treatment for peri-implantitis involves scaling of the pure titanium abutment surface using curette-style titanium or plastic scaler, including a shank with an edge. As the surface of the pure titanium abutment is soft, a curette-style stainless steel scaler with a hard edge cannot be used. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) has been used in dental implants to prevent wear on the screw parts. Here, we propose the use of DLC for the implant abutment for positive plaque adhesion control and maintenance. A test piece of pure titanium was coated with DLC, and the DLC was then curetted using a curette-style stainless steel scaler. No scratches were observed on the surface of the pure titanium coated with DLC showed. In addition, the change in value of the arithmetic mean surface roughness, Ra, was small. These observations indicated marked improvement of the abrasion resistance of the DLC-coated pure titanium .
