Joint quality assessment of three different laser welded dental alloys

The aim of this study is to assess the quality of laser welded joints, by different methods such as: scanning electronic microscopy, metallography, microhardness testing, spectrographic and radiographic analyses. The alloys assessed are a titanium-based alloy used in manufacturing prefabricated pieces for implantology, a standard Au-Pd alloy for the metallo-ceramic technique and a Cr-Co-Mo alloy used for manufacturing the metallic components of partial dentures. The conclusion of the testing is that laser welded joints are generally mechanically satisfactory. Laser is best suitable to weld titanium and its alloys because they have higher rates of laser beam absorption and lower thermal conductivity than other dental casting alloys. Keywords: laser welding, dental alloy