Intraoral welding of titanium dental implants: Characterization of the joints

Abstract

The aim of this work is to find the optimal conditions to obtain a continuous joint without alterations/oxidations in the intraoral welding of titanium by electric resistance technique. The proposed technique allows intraoral welding of titanium in order to obtain the solidarization of dental implants for improving their primary stability. Commercially pure titanium (c.p. Ti) wires and dental screws were welded by electric resistance technique. A metallographic and mechanical evaluation of the joining area was performed by electronic and optical microscopy, as well as by hardness measurements. The welding has been realized in different conditions by a circumferential pulse welding machine, in order to investigate the eventual drawbacks and to optimise the welding procedure. Moreover, the attention was focused on the use of a flux of argon during the procedure, in order to avoid oxidation and to improve the microstructural characteristics of the joint. The characterization of various welded Ti wires led to the individuation of the optimal conditions to obtain a continuous joint without alterations or oxidations. The best results were obtained by using two impulses and argon flux. A clinical case demonstrates the effectiveness of the technique in the improvement of dental implants primary stability.