Unprocessed components fabricated by metal additive manufacturing (AM) tend to be too rough for
immediate implementation and require post-processing to allow for proper physical contact, fit and
suitability. Utilization of metal AM for the fabrication of dental prostheses requires a smooth finish to
prevent the formation of a biofilm and possible inflammatory responses. Standard polishing protocols
utilize hand tools and rotary burs to create a mirror polished finish but may not be possible for some
small and intricate devices. Dry electropolishing technology (DET) is an automated process for metal
AM parts that employs electropolishing by ion transport using free solid bodies, based in a solid media.
This preliminary investigation explored dry electropolishing technology on an additive manufactured
Ti-6Al-4V implant abutment. The abutments were fabricated with additive manufacturing in dental
grade titanium Ti-64 (titanium 6-aluminum 4-vanadium) using Selective Laser Melting (SLM).
Components were photographed with a USB microscope at a magnification of 200x, prior to and after
DET. The novel dental abutment was evaluated with magnification, a preclinical assessment and
evaluation with radiology. DET provided significant polishing of the pin projections, abutment surface
and circumference. There was no tactile evidence of thread slippage or excessive play and there were no
microgaps detected. The fit seemed clinically acceptable. DET technology seems to provide a simple
and predictable post-processing technique that provides surface polishing with Ti-64 dental implant
components that cannot be finished by conventional methods.
