Titanium
is widely associated with dental implants. It integrates with natural
bone far better than most known metals, and also has the ideal light
weight and toughness for the job. However, the strongest implant is
not made from pure titanium, but from a titanium alloy.
The
American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) uses a five-point
grading system for biomedical titanium. The highest of these is Grade
5, which is an alloy of titanium, aluminium, and vanadium. This is
the most widely used material for medical implants, but not for
dental implants because of the susceptibility of vanadium to salivary
corrosion.
