Solidification of Be-free Ni-based dental alloy

A novel, Nb- and Si-rich and Be-free Ni-based alloy was cast by two methods of investment casting and continuouscasting to study the microstructure evolution during solidification and its mechanical properties. The solidification of the alloy startedwith the primary crystallization of FCC-γ, followed by a binary eutectic reaction, with the formation of a heterogeneous constituent：FCC-γ＋G-phase, which replaced the low-melting eutectic （FCC-γ＋NiBe） in the Be-bearing alloys. AlNi6Si3 and γ′ formed during theterminal stages of solidification by investment casting, while the formation of AlNi6Si3 was suppressed by continuous casting. TheScheil solidification model agreed very well with the experimental results.

Electron Probe Microanalysis of Exogenous Pigmentation of Oral Mucosa Originating from Dental Alloy: Two Case Reports

Pigmentation of the oral mucosa is relatively common and has a wide variety of etiologies. Although most pigmented lesions of the oral mucosa are associated with deposition of melanin and accidental displacement of a dental alloy, accurate differential diagnosis of a pigmented lesion is important, especially in the case of malignant melanoma. We report two cases of oral mucosal pigmentation associated with accidental displacement of a dental alloy in which malignant melanoma was suspected. Excisional biopsy was carried out in these cases with the incision line set at approximately 5 mm from the lesions. Histopathologically, brownish foreign substances were observed in the lamina propria. Metal quantitative analyses of the extracted specimens were carried out by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The metal components and the mass concentration revealed that the metals were derived from a dental casting silver alloy in Case 1 and from a gold-silver palladium alloy in Case 2. Although exogenous pigmentation originating from a dental alloy is not rare, differential diagnosis of oral pigmented lesions is sometimes very difficult. In such cases, histopathological examination may be necessary for the diagnosis to exclude melanocytic lesions and EPMA may be effective to identify the causative dental alloy.

An analytical method for quantitative estimation of the cytotoxicity of dental alloys using MTT assay,ICP analysis and effective cytotoxicity calculation

The two most important criteria for dental materials are their biofunctional and biocompatible endurance within the anticipated life-span of the dental restoration in the mouth. Biocompatibility relates mainly to the allergenicity and the toxicity of the material. To test the non-specific toxicity of dental materials, in vitro cell culture assays have been developed. For in vitro screening, such tests are recommended to check the cytotoxicity of dental materials (ISO 10993 5). Various studies have already been performed to quantitatively determine the cytotoxicity level of dental alloys. However, as long as only dental alloys and the cell culture technique are applied, it is not possible to determine which of the alloying elements cause the cytotoxicity. Therefore, an analytical method is needed. Wataha et al determined in 1991 the TC50 values of 9 metal cations of various dental casting alloys, using cell culture methods. Kapert et al reported in 1994 a complex in vitro test concept, where the ICP analysis (inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy) was introduced to measure the trace elements extracted from various alloys. Experimentelle Zahnheilkunde, Universitts ZMK Klinik Freiburg, Germany (Lü XY and Kappert HF) The aim of the present study was to find a relation between the ICP results, the TC50 value of metal cations, and the cytotoxicity of dental alloys. The cytotoxicity levels of various dental alloys and the TC50 values of 10 metal cations were established using the MTT assay, an effective cell culture of method. Then, the concentrations of the corrosively soluted metal cations in the extracts of the alloys were measured using the ICP method. From all these experimental results it was found that the relation between the effective cytotoxicity Z eff of an alloy, the concentrations C i of i th trace element and the TC50 values T Ci of the i th metal cation can approximately be expressed by Z eff =∑iC i2·T Ci . Two significant applications of this expression are a) The cytotoxicity of an alloy can be estimated by ICP analysis of the extract if the TC50 values of the trace elements are know. b) The cytotoxicity of a new-developed-alloy can be estimated in advance, according to the alloying components.

Study on the Effect of Dental Metal Alloys on the Histamine Liberation of Blood Basophiles in Vitro

Biomaterials for restoration or replacement of diseased tissues may have any origin.The major characteristic for biomaterials is biocompatibility.All biomaterials,used in medicine (dentistry,in particular),interreact with the organism tissues.And the changes occur both in the materials and the organism tissues.It is considered that there are no "inert biomaterials." The number of allergic diseases and complications is constantly growing all over the world,taking an important place in the structure of infectious and noninfectious pathology[1].Pollen,household,epidermal,and food-borne allergens,and haptens are the most frequent sources of sensibilization.

Estimation of the Patients'Adaptation to Noble Alloy Dentures Relying on the Parameters of Biological Fluids in Oral Cavities

For the study of the effect of Plagodent and Palladent noble alloy dentures (OJSC "SIC 'Supermetal'", Russia), the elemental compositions of the fluids obtained from gingival sulcus of abutment teeth of metal ceramic dentures with frames made of the above-stated dental alloys, have been investigated. Response of white blood cells and fibroblasts in the gingival fluid and the mixed saliva of the patients a long time after prosthetic repair, relying on the content of proinflammatory interleukins IL-1 β and IL-6, anti-inflammatory interleukins IL-4 and IL-10, the factor of tumor necrosis TNF-α and lactoferrin, has been investigated. The results obtained have convincingly proved the biosafety of the Plagodent and Palladent noble alloys.

Effect of hydrogen peroxide concentration on surface properties of Ni-Cr alloys

The effect of concentration of hydrogen peroxide （H2O2） on the surface properties of Ni-Cr alloys was studied. Surface roughness and surface morphology of Ni-Cr alloys were evaluated by surface profiler and scanning electron microscopy after being immersed in different concentrations of H2O2 for 112 h. Surface corrosion products of Ni-Cr alloys were analyzed by photoelectron spectrograph after being immersed in 0% and 30% H2O2. The order of increasing surface roughness of Ni-Cr alloys after being immersed in different concentrations of H2O2 was 0〈3.6%〈10%〈30%. As the concentration of hydrogen peroxide increased, the surface roughness of Ni-Cr alloys increased and the surface morphology showed different degrees of corrosion. According to the XPS results, the corrosion products formed on the outmost surface layer of the studied samples are Ni（OH）2 and BeO.

Toxicity testing of four silver nanoparticle-coated dental castings in 3-D LO2 cell cultures

To address the controversial issue of the toxicity of dental alloys and silver nanoparticles in medical ap- plications, an in vivo-like LO2 3-D model was constructed within polyvinylidene fluoride hollow fiber materials to mimic the microenvironment of liver tissue. The use of microscopy methods and the measurement of liver-specific functions optimized the model for best cell performances and also proved the superiority of the 3-D LO2 model when compared with the traditional monolayer model. Toxicity tests were conducted using the newly constructed model, finding that four dental castings coated with silver nanoparticles were toxic to human hepatocytes after cell viability assays. In general, the toxicity of both the castings and the coated silver nanoparticles aggravated as time increased, yet the nanoparticles attenuated the general toxicity by preventing metal ion release, especially at high concentrations.