Fabrication of Denture Frameworks Using Titanium Alloys

描述(申请人提供)：安全和有效的牙科治疗对于保持良好的生活质量是不可或缺的，特别是对于人口中越来越多的老年人来说。由于许多无牙列或部分无牙列的患者，对可摘局部和全口义齿的需求并没有减少。金属义齿通常使用钴铬合金或金钯合金制作，但这些金属对一些患者的不良反应(即过敏反应)一直在增加。这个问题的一个解决方案是停止使用这些导致过敏的合金，取而代之的是钛。钛假体的治疗已经取得了一些临床成功。到目前为止，纯钛[商业上的纯钛(CP Ti)]或含铝、钒的钛合金，或两者兼而有之，一直被使用。然而，科学家们对钒的生物相容性提出了担忧，因此生物相容性更好的钛合金是更可取的。这项拟议的研究的总体目标是通过研究健康、持久的修复体所必需的某些特性来检验从钛合金制造可拆卸局部义齿的实用性。本研究的三个目的是：1)确定钛合金铸造可摘义齿支架的可行性；2)评估铸造钛合金义齿支架卡环臂的固位力和固位力的衰减；3)评估钛合金卡环、咬合支座和基托连接板的抗疲劳和永久变形能力。在本方案中，两种钛合金，实验性的Ti-5Al-5Cu和商用的Ti-5Al-1Fe，是从贝勒牙科学院过去十年来广泛研究的一些二元和三元钛合金中挑选出来的。与传统的钴铬牙科铸造合金相比，这些合金具有更高的屈服强度和更低的弹性模量，这表明它们在制造可摘局部义齿时具有更好的性能。传统的义齿框架设计将使用这些金属铸造。将使用视觉缺陷等级对铸造框架的完整性进行评估。将使用X射线照相技术来检测铸件缺陷和气孔。还将检查框架在铸造过程中是否有任何尺寸变化。由于卡环的固位力是影响假体寿命的一个重要因素，因此将评估钛卡环的固位力的稳定性，以及卡环的抗疲劳和变形。这项研究的结果将被用作R01提案中关于钛合金在牙科修复中的应用的更广泛研究所需的基线信息，包括临床试验。 与公众健康相关：钛是一种非常有用的医疗或牙科材料，因为它与人体接触时是良性的。本研究将探讨钛在可摘局部义齿制作中的应用。由于钛及其合金的生物相容性和低成本，它的使用有可能使许多需要义齿进行牙科治疗的人受益。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Safe and effective dental treatment is indispensable for maintaining a good quality of life, particularly for the increasing numbers of the elderly in the population. Because of the many edentulous or partially edentulous patients, the need for removable partial and complete dentures has not declined. Metallic dentures are commonly fabricated using Co-Cr or Au-Pd alloys but the adverse effect of these metals to some patients (i.e., allergic reactions) has been increasing. One solution to this problem is to discontinue using these allergy- causing alloys and to replace them with titanium. Treatment with titanium prostheses has resulted in some clinical successes. Pure titanium [commercially pure titanium (CP Ti)] or titanium alloys containing aluminum, vanadium, or both, have been used until now. However, scientists have raised concerns about the biocompatibility of vanadium, so a more biocompatible titanium alloy is preferable. The overall objective of this proposed study is to examine the practicality of fabricating removable partial dentures from titanium alloys by studying certain characteristics necessary for sound, long-lasting prostheses. The three aims of the study are: 1) to determine the feasibility of fabricating sound removable denture frameworks cast from titanium alloys; 2) to evaluate the retentive force and the attenuation of the retentive force of the clasp arms of the cast titanium alloy denture frameworks; and 3) to evaluate the resistance to fatigue and permanent deformation of clasps, occlusal rests, and base connector plates made of titanium alloys. For this present proposal, two titanium alloys, experimental Ti-5Al-5Cu and commercial Ti- 5Al-1Fe, were selected from a number of binary and ternary titanium alloys studied extensively at Baylor College of Dentistry during the last ten years. These alloys have a higher yield strength and a lower modulus of elasticity than conventional Co-Cr dental casting alloys, suggesting better performance when used to fabricate removable partial dentures. Conventional denture framework designs will be cast with these metals. The cast frameworks will be evaluated for completeness of casting using a visual defect ranking. X-ray radiography will be used to detect casting defects and porosity. The frameworks will also be checked for any dimensional changes during the casting process. Since the retention of the clasps is an important factor to prosthesis longevity, the stability of the retentive force of the titanium clasps will be evaluated, as well as the fatigue resistance and deformation of the clasps. The results of this study will be utilized as baseline information needed for a more extensive study in an R01 proposal of the application of titanium alloys to dental prostheses, including clinical trials. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Titanium is a very useful material for medical or dental purposes because it is benign in contact with the body. This study will investigate certain aspects of adapting titanium to the fabrication of removable partial dentures. Because of its biocompatible nature and low cost, the use of titanium and its alloys has the potential to benefit many people who require dental treatment with dentures.