Corrosion resistance of dental Ti-Ag alloys in NaCl solution

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the corrosion resistance of experimental dental Ti-Ag alloys in 0.9% NaCl solution. Open-circuit potential (OCP) measurement and elution tests of the alloys with 5-30% Ag were performed. The amounts of both Ti and Ag ions released from the alloys with Ag≤ 20% were below the detection limit. A very small amount of Ti ions was released from some of the 22.5% Ag specimens and some of the 25% Ag specimens. The time for the Ti-Ag alloys with 5-25% Ag to become the stable potential was earlier than that for titanium, and the OCP of the alloys was higher than that of titanium. These results indicated that the corrosion resistance of the alloys with 5-25% Ag was equivalent to that of titanium. On the other hand, it was suggested that the precipitation of TiAg deteriorated the corrosion resistance of Ti-Ag alloys because TiAg dissolved preferentially in the NaCl solution. Ti-Ag alloys with 5-25% Ag can be used not only as dental restorative materials but also as dental implant materials.