EVALUATING ANTIMICROBIAL EFFICACY OF DIFFERENT TREATMENT MODALITIES ON DENTAL IMPLANT SURFACE: AN IN VITRO STUDY

Background: Dental implants for replacing missing teeth has become standard practice in dentistry. Biological complications like peri-implantitis is common and involves biofilm-induced inflammation and bone loss around implants. Material and Methods: Sixty standardized titanium discs (10 mm diameter, 2 mm thickness) were fabricated from grade 4 commercially pure titanium. All discs underwent sandblasting and acid etching to create a surface topography representative of contemporary dental implants. Surface characterization was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to ensure standardization across specimens. The discs were sterilized by gamma irradiation prior to biofilm formation. Results: Er:YAG laser and photodynamic therapy achieved the highest bacterial reductions (94.3% and 92.1%).However, Er:YAG laser treatment also caused noticeable surface alterations, including melting and re- solidification patterns and smoothing of some surface irregularities. Conclusion: Photodynamic therapy caused minimal surface alteration compared to other modalities. It may offer the best balance between antimicrobial efficacy and surface preservation in peri-implantitis management.