[Biocompatibility of precious metal dental alloys]

The local toxicity of three dental gold alloys was examined by help of intramuscular implantation tests in rabbits. For each alloy implantation periods of 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks were used. The local tissue reactions (foreign body reactions) were judged and graded by use of quantitative histomorphometry. Furthermore specific cellular parameters were examined with semiquantitative histopathologic methods to get an toxicity index for each material. The local tissue reactions caused by the implanted dental alloys were judged in relation to those, caused by biological inert materials (titanium, aluminum-oxide-ceramics) respectively materials with well-known toxic potential (polyvinyl-chloride with toxic aids), after intramuscular implantation in the same animals. Significant differences were found in the tissue reactions caused by the dental gold alloys; an gold alloy with lower noble metal content elicited stronger tissue reactions than both gold alloys with high noble metal content did.