  Surface modification is an important topic to improve dental implants.
Corundum residues, which are part of current dental implant blasting,
disappeared on Straumann dental implants in recent publications. In our
investigations of the surface of 4 different Straumann implants using scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) we
found the following three main findings: surfaces are nearly corundum-free,
disseminated gap-framed corundum particles and significant molecular carbon
residues. The data strongly suggest that Straumann applies a modified surface
technology on dental implants to remove corundum residues and involving unclear
carbons. One explanation could be, a Straumann patent involving a dextran
coating allowing easy corundum particle removal by aqueous solution, while
unintended molecular carbon residues cannot explain all findings. This change
of the production process without a new approval by the FDA would be a
violation of US federal law and the carbon bindings are a possible danger to
patients.
