Comparison of castability and surface roughness of commercially pure titanium and cobalt-chromium denture frameworks

Statement of problem. Titanium is a biocompatible material, but it is not widely used in clinical dentistry for conventional removable denture frameworks. Little research exists on its applicability. Purpose. This study compared the casting accuracy and roughness of titanium and cobalt-chromium denture frameworks. Material and methods. Twenty Kennedy Class II, Division 1 removable partial denture frameworks were fabricated with commercially pure titanium (n = 10) and a cobalt-chromium alloy (n = 10). The casting accuracy of each framework was determined by visual, radiographic, and microscopic methods. The roughness of each polished framework surface was analyzed with atomic force microscopy. Results. The clinical fit, porosities, and microporosities of both types of metal frameworks were qualitatively similar. The surface roughness of polished pure titanium and cobalt-chromium frameworks was 104.43 +/- 69.24 nm and 133.91 +/- 40.92 nm, respectively. This difference was not statistically significant (P>.05). Conclusion. The clinical fit, porosity, and surface roughness of the titanium and cobalt-chromium frameworks fabricated for this study were comparable.