Comparison of Surface Features of Ceramic and Ti‐Based Dental Implants

Ceramic implants have become more common in recent years, despite scarce reporting on the long‐term follow‐ups in patients. There are several properties rendering zirconium dioxide implants more advantageous than standard titanium implants, yet data on surface properties of ceramic dental implants is missing. In this study, the surface topography and roughness for two types of ceramic implants—3D‐printed and commercially available—are measured via atomic force microscopy (AFM) and compared with those of titanium‐based implants (sandblasted and machined). Distinct surface structures are identified for each implant type, with roughness values of ceramic implants being slightly higher than those of the Ti‐based machined sample and significantly lower than those of Ti implants with a sandblasted surface. The ceramic 3D‐printed implant exhibits similar roughness values at the center and cervical regions but lower values at the apical region. The structures observed in the AFM images, along with the roughness values, could enhance the osseointegration of the 3D‐printed ceramic implants compared to machined implants. However, additional surface modifications might be needed in order to achieve successful osseointegration and similar feasibility to roughened metallic implants.