Ions released from dental amalgams in contact with titanium.

The ions released from conventional and high-copper amalgams in contact with titanium were quantitatively analyzed in a 0.9% NaCl solution at 37 degrees C when the surface area ratio of titanium/amalgam was set up as 1/10, 1/1, or 10/1. The corrosion potentials of the amalgams and titanium were measured under the same conditions. Surface analyses on the amalgams were also employed using SEM with WDS. Though the potential of the conventional amalgam was always lower than that of titanium, that of the high-copper amalgam was reversed during the early stage of immersion and remained lower. When the surface area ratio of titanium grew at 10/1, tin and copper ions released from the conventional and high-copper amalgam, respectively, increased significantly compared with those of each amalgam that was not in contact with titanium. The galvanic corrosion in such a large surface area of titanium possibly led to the heavy corrosion of the amalgams.