The effect of hydrofluoric acid treatment of titanium surface on nanostructural and chemical changes and the growth of MC3T3-E1 cells

Fluoride-modification of dental titanium (Ti) implants is used to improve peri-implant bone growth and bone-to-implant contact and adhesion strength. In this study, the surface topography, chemistry and biocompatibility of polished Ti surfaces treated with hydrofluoric acid solution (HF) were studied. Murine osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) were cultured on the different groups of Ti surfaces. Surfaces treated with HF had higher roughness, lower cytotoxicity level and better biocompatibility than controls. For short treatment times (40 and 90 s), fluorine was detected only within the first 5 nm of the surface layer (X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy, XPS), whereas longer treatment time (120 and 150 s) caused fluoride ions to penetrate deeper (Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry, SIMS). These results suggest that submerging Ti implants in a weak HF solution instigate time-dependant specific surface changes that are linked to the improved biocompatibility of these surfaces.