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.
Most
dentists in the U.K. offer dental implants made of Grade 4 titanium,
which has 0.50 iron content, from companies like Nobel Biocare. It is
considered commercially pure titanium, or CP-Ti, but offers a balance
between fatigue resistance and material purity. It exhibits the most
ideal yield, tensile, and fatigue strengths without exposing the body
to potent metals.
Under
a salivary environment, Grade 4 titanium will hold fast, lowering the
risk of corrosion. It's not as resilient as Grade 5 titanium, but
proper installation by a dentist ensures its longevity. For an
implant to last, however, proper oral hygiene must also be observed.
The titanium post will not succumb to rust, but it can loosen when
the gum is diseased, or weakened from lack of care.
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