Corrosion current and pH rise around titanium coupled to dental alloys.

Corrosion reactions around titanium, usually considered biologically inert, might be provoked by coupling it galvanically with more corrodible dental alloys. Experiments in vitro simulating the conditions of a titanium dental implant or root canal post coupled to an amalgam filling, demonstrated corrosion current densities up to 31 microA/cm2, anodic pH values around the amalgam down to 2, and cathodic pH values around the titanium up to 10. The amounts of tin released by the enhanced corrosion of amalgam might contribute measurably to the daily intake of this element; the corrosion current generated reached values known to cause taste sensations. If the buffer systems of adjacent tissues in vivo are not able to cope with the high pH generated around the titanium, local tissue damage may ensue; this relationship is liable to be overlooked, as it leaves no evidence in the form of corrosion products.