Galvanic Corrosion of Ti Dental Implants Coupled to CoCrMo Prosthetic Component

Abstract

Dental implant systems are composed of an implant, prosthetic components, and a crown. Since the implants are made of commercially pure Ti (cp Ti) and prosthetic components are often made of Ti and CoCrMo alloys, a galvanic couple between these two devices may lead to galvanic corrosion, ions release, and even loss of the implant. This study aimed to investigate the corrosion resistance and measure the galvanic potential between cp Ti alloys (annealed microstructured cp Ti G4 and cold-worked nanostructured cp Ti G4) and a CoCrMo alloy. The corrosion resistance has been characterized by measuring the open circuit potential, the potentiodynamic polarization, the potentiostatic polarization, and the zero-resistance current. The cp Ti has been tested before and after a surface acid treatment. The samples’ surfaces have been examined by scanning electron microscopy, and their surface roughness has been measured by a 3D optical profilometer. The polarization results showed that the CoCrMo alloy showed lower corrosion resistance than cp Ti. The surface acid treatment improves dental implant corrosion resistance. The galvanic analysis showed that the cp Ti without surface treatment behaved as an anode and after the acid treatment has a cathodic behavior in relation to the CrCoMo alloy. The highest value of galvanic current was cp TiG4 acid etched in contact with CoCrMo, in pH 2 solution. The galvanic couple with the lowest current has been the nanostructured cp Ti in contact with CoCrMo alloy.

Electrical Potentiometry with Intraoral Applications

“…It should also be noted that the behavior of the galvanic currents will depend on the material used (Soares and Stich) [ 49 , 50 ], the treatment of peri-implantitis (Lozano and Verdeguer) [ 51 , 52 ], as well as the development of future materials; therefore, the study of Ti particles and their effect must be taken into account (Gürbüz-Urvasızoğlu G) [ 53 ] at least until new particle-free materials become available (Nagay) [ 54 ].…”

Electrogalvanism in Oral Implantology: A Systematic Review

“…Surface Condition . Oxide film thickness, energy, roughness, and grain size on the titanium surface influence corrosion resistance, biomaterial interaction with cells, and osseointegration mechanisms [ 7 , 27 , 28 ].…”

“…The acid-etch surface treatment of Ti cp directly affects the formation of galvanic couples, improves osseointegration, and increases corrosion resistance in the oral environment [ 7 ].…”

“…1. pH Variations . The pH of the environment plays a major role in the electrochemical behavior of the different couples; as the pH of the saliva decreases, the values of the galvanic current between the implant and its superstructure increase [ 2 , 7 , 21 ].…”

“…The Amount of Fluorine . Prophylactic toothpastes, mouthwashes, and gels contain 200 to 20 000 ppm F− and may impair the corrosion resistance of prosthetic and implant dental alloys in the oral cavity [ 2 , 5 , 7 ].…”