Comparison of oral micro-adhesion on polyetheretherketone,zirconium dioxide,and pure titanium abutment

BACKGROUND: There are some aesthetic and biomechanical problems in the application of zirconium dioxide and pure titanium abutment in the anterior teeth area. A kind of aesthetic abutment material conforming to biomechanics needs to be studied urgently. OBJECTIVE: To compare the adhesion of Porphyromonas gingivalis and whole saliva on the surface of polyetheretherketone (PEEK), zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), and pure titanium (Ti). METHODS: Specimens with the shape of a disk were prepared from PEEK, ZrO2, and Ti. The surface morphology feature was observed by scanning electron microscope. Surface roughness was determined by atomic force microscope. Contact angle was measured using contact angle measuring instrument. The adhesion force of Porphyromonas gingivalis on the surface of materials was measured using an atomic force microscope probe. The initial bacterial adhesion on materials in the suspension of Porphyromonas gingivalis and whole saliva was evaluated by scanning electron microscope and Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Scanning electron microscope showed that the surface of the PEEK and Ti specimen was grooved, and the groove of PEEK was more than that of Ti, and there were a few microholes on the surface of ZrO2. Atomic force microscopy showed that parallel groove undulations were observed on the surfaces of the three specimens. The groove peak and valley structure of PEEK and ZrO2 was more prominent than that of Ti, and the porous concave and convex structure of the ZrO2 surface was more than that of PEEK. (2) The surface roughness of ZrO2 was greater than that of Ti (P < 0.05). The pairwise comparison between other groups showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference between the contact angles of the three groups (P > 0.05). (3) A significantly lower adhesion force was identified for PEEK than for ZrO2 and Ti (P < 0.05). (4) The results of scanning electron microscope observation showed that the bacterial adhesion on the PEEK surface was the least, while that on the Ti surface was the most. The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay result showed that the initial bacterial adhesion on the surface of PEEK was significantly lower than that on the surface of ZrO2 and Ti (P < 0.05). (5) The results suggest that PEEK has more advantages to inhibit initial bacterial adhesion than conventional abutment materials such as ZrO2 and Ti. © 2022, Publishing House of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research. All rights reserved.