A process for providing a sterilized dental article, at least a portion of the surface of which exhibiting a contact angle of less than 45°. The process includes the subsequent steps of a) providing a dental article and b) subjecting the initial dental article to a hydrogen peroxide plasma treatment. It is characterized in that the hydrogen peroxide plasma sterilization treatment of step b) is carried out in the presence of a carbon-containing compound, which during treatment is converted to form a carboxylic group attached to the surface of the dental article.