Purpose: To evaluate the effects of ultraviolet (UV) treatment and alendronate immersion on the osseointegration of dental implants and mucosal attachment of dental implant abutments using a mongrel dog model.
Materials and Methods: A total of 48 sandblasted, large-grit, acid-etched (SLA) titanium dental implants and 48 machined surface healing abutments in four male mongrel dogs were prepared. Implants and healing abutments were divided into four groups (n = 12 per group). The control (CON) group did not undergo additional surface treatments. The UV group was treated with UV for 15 minutes, and the alendronate-immersed (AN) group was soaked in 10–3 M alendronate for 24 hours. The UV treatment and alendronate soaking (UVAN) group was treated with alendronate, followed by UV irradiation. All implants were placed in the mandible of mongrel dogs, and the animals were sacrificed at 4 and 8 weeks postoperatively. Bone-to-implant contact (BIC), bone density, and connective tissue attachment were measured.
Results: In cortical bone, the UV group exhibited significantly higher BIC compared to the CON and AN groups (P < .05). In contrast, the AN and UVAN groups did not have significantly higher BIC. In the trabecular bone, there was no statistical difference between the groups. No significant increase in bone density and connective tissue attachment was shown in any group.
Conclusion: UV treatment of SLA surface implants significantly increased osseointegration in cortical bone. The alendronate immersion did not increase osseointegration, and there was no synergic effect with UV treatment. Further, UV treatment and alendronate immersion of machined healing abutments did not significantly increase connective tissue attachment.
Keywords: alendronate, connective tissue attachment, dental implant, dental implant abutment, osseointegration, ultraviolet
