Corrosion considerations in the brazing repair of cobalt-based partial dentures

Cobalt-based alloys (Co-Cr-Mo) are usually used in dentistry as frameworks for removable partial dentures. In their basic form these structures function successfully. However, modifications or repairs of the frameworks may reduce their resistance to corrosion and, as a consequence, may provoke biologic reactions in the soft tissues. These reactions may be the result of different types of alloys that contact each other and, in the presence of saliva (based on potential differences), produce a galvanic cell. In this study, a clinical situation after repair of a removable partial denture was examined. The metallographic study of the prosthesis revealed a brazed zone where a gold braze was joining the Co-Cr-Mo framework with a Co-Cr-Ni type alloy (without Mo). The latter revealed signs of corrosion. Various electrochemical parameters (Ecorr, Ecouple, icorr, icouple) of these alloys were analyzed in the laboratory. The Co-Cr-Ni alloy had the lowest nobility and underwent galvanic corrosion in a galvanic couple with gold braze.