Corrosion of galvanic pairs of dental alloys copper base with silver amalgams in artificial saliva

Abstract

Galvanic corrosion is a metal dissolution process that occurs when two metals of different electrochemical
potential are immersed in an electrolyte causing electrical currents between the metals through the conducting
medium. To restore lost or damaged teeth, different alloys are used, leaving the mouth exposed to electrical
currents that circulate through saliva and dental fluids. In the present work, the potentials and densities
of corrosion currents of galvanic pairs of silver amalgams and copper base dental alloys were determined
simultaneously using potenciodynamic methods, finding that the most resistant to corrosion are the pairs
formed by silver amalgams of high copper and Cu - Zn alloys, and that the corrosion products released in
greater quantity in the electrolytic medium are formed by Hg, Cu, Zn and Ni ions.
Keywords. Corrosion, dental alloy, polarization curve, artificial saliva, galvanic pair.