The Stability of Dental Alloys in the Oral Environment

Corrosion and dissolving of thin films laid on the surface of restorative materials represents two phenomena which take place in salivary environment (natural or artificial). Degradation of metallic and nonmetallic materials is, usually, a combination of electrochemical and mechanical effects. In a watery environment, like the salivary environment, electrochemical corrosion prevails, associated in lower proportions with the occurrence of chemical corrosion cells (uniform dissolving of the restorative dental material). Above these two phenomena, a third form of corrosion takes place in the oral environment, biologic corrosion, held under the direct influence of the bacterial microflora