Surface Patterning on Zirconia Dental Implants by laser imprinting

The impact of laser-assisted surface patterning on the biofilm formation of dental zirconia, which is crucial for oral health due to its association with conditions such as caries and gingivitis, was investigated. Zirconia is known to be a hard-to-machine in the sintered state. In this study, zirconia samples were sintered and polished prior to surface patterning. A nanosecond and picosecond Nd: YAG laser operating at 1064 and 532 nm were used to pattern the zirconia surface. A confined plasma was formed through the interaction between the laser beam and a copper grid template. The template was covered by a sacrificial graphene layer, and the plasma was confined using either a glass slide or water as the medium. The size and depth of the pattern were shown to be dependent on the shape of the grid, power, exposure time, confinement medium, wavelength, and beam spot size. We successfully achieved patterns ranging in size from 40um to 7um, with depths of up to 3um. The resulting patterned surfaces were characterized using surface characterization tools using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and an optical profilometer. The ongoing in vitro assessment of biofilm formation on the patterned surface at different conditions will be presented. The findings from this research have the potential to enhance preventive strategies in dental healthcare, ultimately promoting improved oral health outcomes by mitigating the adverse effects of biofilm formation.