Surface characteristics and bioactivation of sandblasted and acid-etched (SLA) Ti-10Nb-10Ta alloy for dental implant

Titanium and titanium alloys are amenable to processing as dental implant materials because of their low density, good mechanical properties, better biocompatibility, and excellent corrosion resistance. However, titanium-based implants cannot bond directly to bone. To induce osseointegration, numerous surface-treatment techniques have been investigated over the years to improve implant performance. In this study, we examine sandblasting and acid etching (SLA) methods to determine the various properties of SLA-treated Ti-10Nb-10Ta alloy. The SLA treatment included two steps: first, mechanically polished Ti-10Nb-10Ta alloy was subjected to grit blasting using 110-µm alumina particles, and second, the blasted alloy underwent acid etching for 9 minutes with a mixture of H₂SO₄ and HCl at 100°C. After etching with Keller’s etchant, the Ti-10Nb-10Ta alloy showed a lamellar structure on optical microscopy, and surface roughness was increased after SLA treatment (p<0.05). The apatite layer that formed on the SLA-treated Ti-10Nb-10Ta alloy after immersion in simulated body fluid was approximately 2 µm thick, thus improving adhesion to bone. Wettability of the SLA-treated Ti-10Nb-10Ta alloy was better than that of the non-treated one. In vitro studies showed no cytotoxicity from either the untreated or the SLA-treated Ti-10Nb-10Ta alloys.