Effect of Preservation Methods on Titanium Wettability and Cell Response

Objective: This study investigated the effects of various methods of titanium preservation on wettability, and its influence on cell response in vitro.

Methods: Titanium (Ti) disks were treated with distilled water, ethanol, acetone, and nitric acid (ASTM F86-76). The Ti disks were then kept in 3 different conditions for the next two weeks. Group 2 was kept in open air. Group 3 was submerged in water. Group 4 was kept in a vacuum. In addition, Group 1 was treated immediately before biocompatibility experiments and used as controls. Water contact angles and surface roughness of the four groups of the Ti disks were measured. The osteoblast precursor cells were used to evaluate the cell response. The cell attachment was measured over four hours. The cells were incubated over 19 days, and their proliferation and differentiation were evaluated by ALP assays, BSA assays, and dsDNA assays.

Results: Water contact angles of samples increased after preservation. No significant differences in cell attachment, proliferation, or total protein production were observed between the four groups. There was significant difference between the groups at day 19, with Group 3 showing the highest ALP measurements.

Conclusions: Titanium disks secluded from air were concluded to enhance cell differentiation, but further study is needed to test the effect of different preservation methods on titanium biocompatibility in vivo. The study was supported by the grant from Implant Dentistry Research and Education Foundation.