Advanced Manufacturing Processes I( Laser Manufacturing ) - Assignment Example

This is in the aim of supporting the dental prosthesis i.e. denture, bridge, crown, or facial prosthesis in addition to acting as an orthodontic anchor (Graf, 2014). Usually made of titanium, these are implanted through the biological process of osseointegration, aiding in the formation of an intimate bond to the bone. In general, such a biomedical implant usually comprises of a metal base structure, and a deposit (comprising of a first metal and an anti-microbial material) formed onto a metal base structure wherein the formed deposit is not derived by either electro-plating or anodization.

Apart from titanium, the metallic dental prostheses are also made of platinum, stainless steel, gold, tantalum and cobalt-chrome amongst other alloys (Pompa, et.al 2015:1). Typically, implants and dental prostheses consist of a titanium (tooth-root resemblance) screw, having either a smooth or a roughened surface. Notably, most of the dental implants used are manufactured using commercially unalloyed titanium that is available in four different grades. The grades are differentiated by the amount of iron, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon contained.

The cold work toughened CP4, containing maximum impurity levels of 0.50% of Fe (Iron), 0.40% Oxygen, 0.015% Hydrogen, 0.10% Carbon, and 0.05% Nitrogen, is the most widely utilized titanium for various bio-medical implants. An auxiliary component such as the Grade 5 Titanium (6AL-4V), which is a bit harder than the CP4; contains 4% vanadium alloy and 6% aluminium. It is mainly utilized in the manufacture of abutments and abutment screws that aid in the implantation process, as well as holding the prostheses in place.

The importance of Titanium in bio-medical dental prostheses amongst other functionalities is influenced by core characteristics, which make it highly durable (Gu, Meiners,