Mapping of titanium particles in peri-implant oral mucosa by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and high-resolution optical darkfield microscopy

The present study examines the quantity, size, element signatures and distribution of titanium particles in normal oral mucosal tissue and in oral mucosa exposed to a titanium implant. Tissue samples from six healthy patients were obtained by a full thickness biopsy taken from the edge of the oral mucosa when inserting a titanium dental implant. At the abutment insertion 6 months later, a punch test biopsy of oral mucosa was taken over the implant site. Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is a sensitive and specific multi-element microanalytical technique that demonstrated the presence of Ti particles in the tissue adjacent to implant cover-screws. The epithelial part of the control samples revealed more particles than the corresponding area of the test samples, consisting partly of newly formed scar tissue. High-Resolution Optical Darkfield Microscope (HR-ODM) confirmed the presence of particles in both the control and the test samples. The combination of LA-ICP-MS and HR-ODM appears to be a powerful combination for detection of particles in oral tissues; optical microscopy provides an overview with histological references, whereas LA-ICP-MS identifies the chemical composition.