Surface characterization of the seating platform of titanium implant processed with different textures

Manufacturing processes imply different ranges of surface roughness, such as found in dental components. These surfaces have vital roles from a clinical perspective, including essential biocompatibility, bacterial adhesion, and prosthetic retention. However, the relationship between the surface topography and these characteristics can be more detailed, especially in texture analysis. For this purpose, three specimens were studied: (i) Ti-6Al-4V alloy manufactured by wire electro-discharge machining (WEDM); (ii) Ti-6Al-4V alloy manufactured by WEDM followed by electropolishing (WEDM + EP); and (iii) a seating platform of dental implant CNC-machined, manufactured in Ti–CP. Surface topography was analyzed through optical interferometry, using the following parameters: Sq (root mean square), Sp (max peak height), Sv (max valley depth), Ssk (skewness), Sku (kurtosis), and Str (texture aspect ratio). The application of the electropolishing process was sufficient to remove all irregularities left by WEDM, rounding the peaks and valleys, meaning a reduction of 69% in Sq value. On the other hand, the deviations in the seating platform’s height distribution can be considered critical for generating a misfit between the implant–abutment pair. In this case, electrochemical machining is recommended for this surface, instead of grinding processes.