Tribocorrosion at the Implant -Abutment Interface Simulating Clinically Relevant Conditions

Implant treatment is provided to individuals with normal, idealized masticatory forces and is also used to treat patients with parafunctional habits such as grinding, clenching, and bruxing. In addition, dental erosion is a common condition that has been on the increase and is reported to affect some 32% of adults, increasing with age. This environment is conducive to tribocorrosion and the potential loss of materials from the implant surfaces and interfaces with prosthetic components. Although several fretting corrosion studies have been reported, until now, there has been no study that simulates clinically relevant micromotion. Our new novel micro-fretting corrosion test system simulates clinical conditions by measuring 5um motion between the implant-abutment interface. We simulated 4 conditions in an oral environment by varying the contact load (83N, 233N) and pH levels (6.5, 3). The commonly used dental implant fixture material Grade IV titanium, Zirconia abutment material, and artificial saliva representing the oral environment were used. A standard tribocorrosion protocol was followed, and the following data were measured as described: 1. Mechanical data: Energy ratio 2. Electrochemical data: OCP, EIS 3. Surface analysis: 3D profilometry, Surface Roughness, Wear Volume, SEM, EDS 4. The weight loss: Metal ion leaching (ICP-MS) The effect of pH was seen more in the Ti4-Ti4 group. The effect of the load was seen more in the Zr-Ti4 group. Hence, Ti4 -Ti4 showed the most corrosive behavior, whereas Zr-Ti4 showed the most mechanical wear loss.