Direct observation of bone coherence with dental implants

A newly developed gentle ion beam polishing technique was established for preparing of cross sections of dental implants feasible for high resolution scanning electron microscope investigation. This approach was applied to investigate the interfacial microstructure between newly formed bone and dental implants with modified surfaces extracted after in vivo test in adult miniature pigs. The results obtained so far reveal that it has become possible to analyze the bone coherence to implants besides measuring the bone coverage. The amount and density of the mineralized extra cellular matrix has found to be different in different sub-microscopic regions around the implant. From our observations, it can be seen that new bone grows from the existing bone and advances towards the implant surface by in growth mechanism. The images also reveal that new bone is formed directly at the implant surface; we propose a deposition mechanism to explain this. Eventually the in grown and the deposited bone connect to give a good anchorage of the implant. This achievement bears implication for understanding osseointegration at microscopic level.