Effect of vacuum plasma application on surface properties of titanium dental implant

The aim of this thesis is to comprehensively investigate the effects of vacuum plasma treatment as a surface enhancement method for titanium dental implants widely used in implantology. In this thesis study, the effects of vacuum plasma treatment on the surface morphology, chemical composition, surface roughness, and wettability of titanium dental implants were investigated. Four distinct surface conditions raw material, sandblasting, SLA surface treatment, and vacuum plasma application were comparatively evaluated. For surface characterization, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and contact angle measurement techniques were utilized. Analyses revealed that vacuum plasma treatment significantly enhanced surface energy due to the increased oxygen and nitrogen content on the surface, resulting in improved wettability. The contact angle decreased to 16.31°, indicating a highly hydrophilic surface. Moreover, the surface roughness (Rq) measured by AFM was 832.68 nm, which is considered favourable for cellular adhesion. Mechanical testing results also demonstrated that the implants met the biomechanical requirements necessary for clinical application. In conclusion, vacuum plasma treatment was found to be an effective method for improving the surface characteristics of titanium dental implants and is suggested as a promising surface modification technique that may enhance osseointegration. Keywords: Dental implant, Titanium, Vacuum plasma, Surface modification, Osseointegration, Hydrophilicity, Roughness