Fluoride induced corrosion affecting Titanium brackets: A systematic review

A number of studies have been published regarding the behaviour of titanium inside the oral cavity or in a similar environment. Very often the results converge although they may on occasion be divergent. There appears to be a strong need for a systematic review because of this disparity, with a view to designing an experimental working method. Our study will attempt to analyse the various aspects of this problem. It will therefore focus on fluoride and its impact, as well as on the role it plays in corroding titanium orthodontic brackets (Ti) according to the synthesis and critical analysis drawn from literature.

An exhaustive bibliography search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, Science Direct and Cochrane Library using a search equation based on the following key-words: corrosion, titanium brackets and fluoride.

Out of 459 identified references, only 5 matched our inclusion criteria.

Although very few articles look into the impact of fluoride on titanium orthodontic brackets, one may conclude that in the presence of fluoride ions, resistance to corrosion of Ti attachments decreases in the presence of high fluoride concentrations and lengthy exposure to fluoride ions and an acid pH.