OBJECTIVE

The purpose of our study was to determine the effect of two UV-C light sources with a wavelength of 254 nm and an energy of 1400 W/cm3 to obtain a hydrophilic surface, comparing two UV-C sources with different powers (6 and 85 W) and a control group.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Ten titanium discs were randomly divided into three groups: a control group, a 6 W group, and an 85 W group. A drop of double-distilled, deionized, and sterile 10 µL water was applied to each of the discs. Each disc was immediately photographed in a standardized and perpendicular manner. Measurements were taken based on the irradiation time (15, 30, 60, and 120 min).

RESULTS

UVC irradiation improved the control values in both groups. There was no difference in its effect between the 6W group and the other groups during the first 30 min. However, after 60 min and up to 120 min, 85 W had a significantly stronger effect. The contact angles with the 85Wultraviolet light source at 60 and 120 min were 19.43 and 31.41, respectively, whereas the contact angles for the 6 W UVC source were 73.8 and 61.45.

CONCLUSION

Power, rather than time, was shown to be the most important and significant factor for obtaining hydrophilic surfaces. Within the limitations of this study, we concluded that the ideal power to improve the wettability of titanium with an RBM-TC surface is 85 watts applied for 60 min at a wavelength of 254 nm. We consider that these findings can improve the biological process of osseointegration in implant therapy and offer us clues to the use of UVC in dental offices.