Evaluation of wear caused by ultrasonic tips on titanium surfaces coated with titanium nitride or zirconium nitride based materials

It is thought that titanium surfaces can be modified to become more durable, the damage caused by metallic ultrasonic tips on titanium surfaces during implant maintenance treatment can be reduced, and ultimately the long-term success of implants can be maintained. The aim of our study is to evaluate the wear occurring on the surfaces after instrumentation with metallic ultrasonic tips of titanium surfaces modified by coating with titanium nitride (TiN) or zirconium nitride (ZrN) based materials by physical vapor deposition method. The study groups were formed as coated with TiN-based material (Group 1), coated with ZrN-based material (Group 2), and uncoated control group (Group 3). Surface roughness of 30 titanium discs, 10 in each group, before and after instrumentation with ultrasonic tips were determined in terms of Ra and Rz values. It was found that Group 1 and Group 2 discs that were coated before instrumentation were statistically significantly rougher than Group 3 discs that were not coated. It was observed that Group 2 discs coated with ZrN-based material were statistically significantly rougher than Group 1 discs coated with TiN-based material. It was also found that the surface roughness values of Group 1 and Group 2 discs after instrumentation with ultrasonic tips were lower than the values measured in Group 3, but this difference was statistically significant only between Group 1 and Group 3. As a result of the data obtained in our study, it can be said that both coating processes with TiN or ZrN-based material can provide protection against the damage caused by ultrasonic tips on titanium surfaces, and this protection is superior to surfaces coated with TiN-based material.