In clinical therapy, the current goal of dental implants is to enhance quantity and quality of osseointegration. Surface roughness and oxide structure are considered to influence the behavior of adherent cells. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of different surface treatment on cellular response. The attachment and proliferation of osteoblast-like cell on sandblasted, sandblasted and etched, thermal oxidated surfaces have been compared. Sandblasting was done with Al²O³ particles(grain size of 50µm), etching was processed with NH⁴OH : H²O² : H²O(1:1:5) at 90℃ for 1 minute. Thermal oxidation was followed sandblasting and etching at 400℃, 600℃, 800℃ for 2 hours. Measurement of surface roughness after the different treatment did not show any differences of Ra value between terated surfaces. Cell attachment and proliferation were increased during experiment period, but no difference was observed. SEM evaluation revealed a similar pattern of osteoblastlike cells, well attached with dendritic extension and producing numerous matrix vesicles on cell surface. The results of this study showed that oxide layer alteration by thermal oxidation did not affect the attachment and proliferation of osteoblast-like cells. This suggests the possibility that the cellular responses are further influenced by surface roughness than titaniun oxide structure.

This study was supported by a grant(HMP-98-G-2-035-B) of the HAN(highly advanced National) Projected, Ministry of Health & Welfare, R.O.K.