Air Abrasion of Titanium Dental Implants with Water-Soluble Powders: An In Vitro Study

The aim of this study was to determine the average amount of silicon ions on the surface of titanium implants after air abrasion with powders based on glycine and erythritol, and to measure the content of silicon ions in separated water-insoluble fractions of these powders. Methods and Results: The study investigated 2 air-abrasive powders, one based on glycine (Air-Flow Perio, EMS, Switzerland) and another on erythritol (Air-FlowPlus, EMS, Switzerland). These abrasives were tested for solubility in water and the content of Si⁺ in insoluble fractions of these powders. Also, the weight percent (wt %) of Si⁺ was measured on the surface of failed titanium implants after air abrasion with Air-Flow Perio (Group 1) and Air-FlowPlus (Group 2). Scanning electron microscopy and determining the elemental composition of obtained samples were carried out on an SEM-EVO MA 10 (Carl Zeiss) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer with EDS Aztec Energy Advanced X-Act (Oxford Instruments). It was found that air-abrasive mixtures based on glycine and erythritol are not completely soluble in water due to the presumed presence of silica in them. It was also found that air-abrasive cleaning of contaminated dental implants with an erythritol-based mixture contributed to a significant increase ( P= 0.000) in the Si⁺ content on their surfaces in comparison to implants treated with glycine-based powder.