Titanium Alloy in Dental Applications

The metals used in dental surgery began with amalgam and metal crowns in the 1920s. In the 1960s, gold, silver, and palladium alloys were mainly used. After the 1970s, stainless steel became permanent and removable instruments for orthodontics. The most commonly used material, titanium casting technology was popularized and applied in the 1990s. Dental use of titanium precision casting machine has the characteristics of high dimensional accuracy, no bubbles and shrinkage holes. Among the metal materials used for human hard tissue repair, the elastic modulus of titanium is the closest to human tissue, which can reduce the impact of metal implants and bone Mechanical incompatibility between tissues. Titanium has the lowest thermal conductivity of all metal materials for dental restorations, and low thermal conductivity can reduce thermal stimulation to the pulp of crowned teeth, which is important for dental restorations. Titanium inlays, full crowns, etc. can protect the pulp and avoid hot and cold stimulation. In terms of material, dental titanium is mostly pure titanium, but its strength is insufficient, it is difficult to grind, has poor wear resistance, is prone to casting defects and unstable quality. Titanium alloy has high strength, the most commonly used is Ti-6Al-4V alloy, but because metal V is harmful to human body, Nb is used instead of V, and Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy has been successfully developed, which has excellent corrosion resistance and is resistant to corrosion. It is basically harmless to the human body, and has other advantages such as strong plasticity and excellent abrasiveness, and has been approved by ASTM standards. At present, superelastic Ti-Ni alloys are being promoted for use in tooth straightening.

Since the 1980s, developed countries have begun to study the application of titanium in oral restoration, first for dental implants, and later for denture brackets, crown bridges and orthodontic wires. At present, titanium can be used as dental crowns and crown nails. , fixed bridge, porcelain bridge, bonding bridge, denture snap ring, base, connecting device and strengthening device, almost all metal parts of denture can be made of titanium. The study of titanium and titanium alloys has become a hot spot in the study of dental application alloys. Titanium alloy porcelain teeth can restore the shape and function of the tooth very well, and have high strength, beautiful appearance, stable color, smooth surface, wear resistance and corrosion resistance. It is a permanent restoration and is suitable for all fixed teeth. In particular, it has good biocompatibility and is suitable for people who are sensitive to nickel ions. It has been widely used in tooth restoration.