In The Production Process Of Titanium And Titanium Alloy Dentures, Grinding And Polishing Are Very Critical Steps.

Since its discovery, titanium has been hailed as a "miracle metal" for its highest specific strength (the ratio of tensile strength to density) among metals, as well as its many excellent properties. Today, titanium is widely used in aerospace, machinery, electricity, medicine, and other fields.

Medical titanium metal has become the most widely used metal material for modern human implant applications due to its excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties, with a market share exceeding 80%. In the field of oral rehabilitation, medical pure titanium also performs outstandingly and is widely used in denture production.

Since the 1980s, developed countries have been dedicated to research on the application of titanium materials in the field of oral rehabilitation. Initially, titanium was primarily used for dental implants, and then gradually expanded to dental prostheses frameworks, crowns and bridges, and orthodontic wires. Today, the application of titanium has covered almost all metal components of dentures, including dental crowns, crown pins, fixed bridges, porcelain bridges, bonding bridges, denture clamps, bases, connecting devices, and reinforcement devices. Research on titanium and titanium alloys has become a hot direction in the field of dental alloy applications.

Titanium has the following good physical and chemical properties:

1. The passivation film formed on the surface of pure titanium metal exhibits excellent acid-etching resistance, making pure titanium dentures exceptionally corrosion-resistant. Furthermore, pure titanium exhibits excellent mechanical properties, making it an ideal material for dentures. Its low elastic modulus and memory properties offer significant advantages for using pure titanium in steel retaining clasps. Thanks to its excellent elasticity, pure titanium clasps can penetrate undercuts up to 0.7mm, ensuring proper seating and preventing damage to the abutment teeth.

2. Pure titanium has a low density, approximately one-quarter that of gold and one-half that of cobalt-chromium alloy. Therefore, pure titanium dentures are lighter than dentures made from other materials. For a similarly sized steel frame, a pure titanium product weighs less than half that of a standard cobalt-chromium alloy, effectively reducing the burden on oral soft tissues.

3. Low thermal conductivity: The thermal conductivity of pure titanium is only 1/17 of that of gold. This property enables pure titanium porcelain teeth to effectively protect the pulp tissue and avoid the invasion of external stimuli such as cold, heat, and acid.

4. Low linear shrinkage: Pure titanium has a linear shrinkage of 1.75%, lower than that of gold and cobalt-chromium alloys. This characteristic gives pure titanium excellent compatibility and high casting precision. As a result, pure titanium porcelain crowns have a high degree of marginal adhesion, effectively preventing the occurrence of secondary caries in porcelain crown abutments.

5. X-ray semi-obstructive: Pure titanium is semi-obstructive under X-rays, allowing doctors to examine the tooth tissue within the titanium crown through X-rays, thereby diagnosing the health of the tooth without damaging the crown. Furthermore, pure titanium porcelain teeth will not interfere with cranial CT scans.

6. Titanium is non-magnetic: Pure titanium dentures will not be magnetized in a magnetic field, which is crucial. Pure titanium porcelain teeth and all-ceramic teeth are the only two fixed restorations that will not affect cranial MRI examinations.

In the production process of pure titanium dentures, grinding and polishing are crucial steps.

Grinding removes high spots and smoothes the shape, flattening uneven surfaces and giving the restoration a more natural appearance. Polishing removes scratches and irregularities left by grinding, making the restoration glossy, enhancing aesthetics and comfort, improving the surface gloss of the restoration, reducing plaque accumulation, and extending the life of the restoration.