Forming horizontal microgrooves on the surface of transmucosal abutment connected to implant is one of the several methods to enhance initial cell attachment to the abutment immediately after abutment connection procedure.
The purpose of the present study is to observe attachment, proliferation and migration of human gingival epithelial cells and fibroblasts on microgrooved titanium alloy substrata. Healthy human gingival epithelial cells(HGEs) and human gingival fibroblasts(HGFs) were obtained. To produce cell-matrix substrata, titanium alloy discs with various widths of microgrooves were fabricated using photolithography technique. Flat titanium alloy discs were used as control. The cultured cells were seeded and incubated for 3 days followed by scanning electron microscopic(SEM) observations. On SEM observations, HGEs, as a thin epithelial sheet, proliferated and migrated along the microgrooves, but with little tendency. HGFs proliferated and migrated along the microgrooves, and on which the widths of the microgrooves were over 15μm, had the tendencies to form thick rod-like, elongated structures. The differences in the form and structure of the observed cells on different widths of the microgrooves indicate that the microgrooves formed on titanium alloy substrata change the behaviors of human gingival epithelial cells and fibroblasts in vitro. According to the results of the present study, it is suggested that the microgrooves on dental implant abutments ,by increasing fibroblasts' and epithelial cells' attachments, proliferations, and migrations, may play a role in enhancing the quantity and the quality of the soft tissue around dental implants. A further study using more detailed models on molecular levels to verify the results of the present pilot study is strongly required.
|