Surface Characterization and Corrosion Resistance of Boron Nitride Coated Titanium Dental Implants

Surface modifications of dental implants are of vital importance to enhance osseointegration and improve their corrosion resistance. This study characterized the surface properties of boron nitride (BN) coated titanium implants and their corrosion behaviors. Pretreated implant surfaces were coated successfully with BN by RF-magnetron sputtering system. Surface morphology and elemental composition of uncoated and BN-coated implant surfaces were examined by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). The corrosion tests were performed by use of artificial saliva. The tri-dimensional topography of the uncoated sandblasted, large-grit, acid-etched (SLA) implant surface showing sponge-like characteristics, revealed characteristic differences at micro level after BN-coating. It had more holes and peaks in addition to the sponge-like characteristics which further improved its surface microroughness. Boron-to-nitrogen ratio of the coated surface was obtained in the range of 0.8-1.6. The BN-coated SLA implant had no weight loss in the corrosion test. However, the surface characteristics of implants before coating had an impact on corrosion behavior of other implant types. The results demonstrated that titanium implants can be coated with BN successfully and this coating improves the surface properties of dental implants.