The Experimental Study On Improvements Of Laser Welding Technique On The Keeper Of Magnetic Attachment

Purpose: The magnetic attachment system has been increasingly applied in prosthetic dentistry. As a main part of it, the keeper is commonly connected with the dowel-coping by cast-to technique. Mostly, the moderate-fusing noble alloys, for example the gold alloy, are the cast metal of the dowel-coping. Sometimes, the high-fusing alloys such as Ni-Cr and Co-Cr are also used as substitutes for the gold alloy to reduce the cost. However, during the casting process of the high-fusing alloys, the surface of the keeper would probably be damaged under the high temperature. As a result, the magnetic retentive forces between the keeper and the dental magnet would be impaired. Recently, our research group started to resolve this problem by the means of laser-welding technology. As an alternative way to joint the keeper and dowel-coping, laser welding demonstrated several advantages such as narrower heat affected zone, more accurate orientation and higher efficiency. The purpose of this study was to compare...