Electrochemical properties of suprastructures galvanically coupled to a titanium implant

Abstract

In recent years, dental implants have been widely used for the aesthetic and functional restoration of edentulous patients. Dental implants and restorative alloys are required with high corrosion resistance. Suprastructures and implants of different compositions in electrical contact may develop galvanic or coupled corrosion problems. In addition to galvanic corrosion, crevice and pitting corrosion may occur in the marginal gap between dental implant assemblies. In this study, gold, silver-palladium, cobalt-chromium, and nickel-chromium suprastructures were used to investigate their galvanic and crevice corrosion characteristics in combination with titanium (Ti) implants. Potentiodynamic and potentiostatic testing were performed in artificial saliva at 37 degrees C. Potentiodynamic testing was carried out at the potential scan rate of 1 mV/s in the range of -600-1600 mV (SCE). Potentiostatic testing was performed with an open-circuit potential and current densities at -250, 0, and 250 mV (SCE) in artificial saliva. After electrochemical testing, surface morphologies and cross-sections were examined using micrographs of the samples. Potentiodynamic test results indicated that suprastructure/Ti implant couples produced passive current densities in the range of 0.5-12 microA/cm(2); Ti abutment/Ti implant and gold/Ti implant couples exhibited relatively low passive current densities; Co-Cr/Ti implant couples the highest. Co-Cr and Ni-Cr/Ti implant couples showed breakdown potentials of 700 and 570 mV (SCE), respectively. The open-circuit potentials of silver, Ti abutment, gold, Ni-Cr, and Co-Cr/Ti implant couples were -93.2 +/- 93.9, -123.7 +/- 58.8, -140.0 +/- 80.6, -223.5 +/- 35.1, and -312.7 +/- 29.8 mV (SCE), respectively, and did not change with immersion time. The couples exhibited cathodic current densities at -250 mV (SCE); in particular, gold and silver alloys showed high cathodic current densities of -3.18 and -6.63 microA/cm(2), respectively. At 250 mV (SCE), Ti abutment/Ti implant couples exhibited a minimum current density of 9.48 x 10(-2) microA/cm(2), but gold, Ni-Cr, Co-Cr, and silver/Ti implant couples exhibited 0.313, 1.27, 5.60, and 8.06 microA/cm(2), respectively. All couples exhibited relatively low current densities at 0 mV (SCE). Photomicrographs after electrochemical testing showed crevice or pitting corrosion in the marginal gap and at the suprastructure surface. Although of the tested samples Co-Cr/Ti implant couples showed the possibility of galvanic corrosion, its degree was not significant. However, it should be borne in mind that galvanic corrosion can accelerate localized corrosion, such as crevice or pitting corrosion.