The osseointegration of titanium implants is allowed by the TiO2 layer that covers the implants. Titania can exist in amorphous form or in three different crystalline conformations: anatase, rutile and brookite. Few studies have characterized TiO2 covering the surface of dental implants from the crystalline point of view. The aim of the present study was to characterize the evolution of the TiO2 layer following different surface treatments from a crystallographic point of view. Commercially pure titanium and Ti-6Al-4V implants subjected to different surface treatments were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy to evaluate the crystalline conformation of titania. The surface treatments evaluated were: machining, sandblasting, sandblasting and etching and sandblasting, etching and anodization. The anodizing treatment evaluated in this study allowed to obtain anatase on commercially pure titanium implants without altering the morphological characteristics of the surface.
Keywords: Raman spectroscopy; anatase; dental implant; titania.