The biocompatibility of a dental Ag-Pd-Cu-Au-based casting alloy and its structural components.

The biocompatibility of type III casting gold alloy, an Ag-Pd-Cu-Au-based dental casting alloy and its two main structural components, a CuPd-rich and an Ag-rich phase, was studied after subcutaneous implantation for 7 weeks in 20 guinea pigs. The Ag-Pd-Cu-Au alloy was surrounded by a capsule of immature collagen with fibroblasts and an increased vascular supply. The CuPd-rich component induced and maintained an acute inflammation with highly vascularized granulation tissue. The tissue reaction to the Ag-rich component and the Au-based alloy was slight. Ten of the guinea pigs were sensitized to PdCl2 prior to the implantation period, but this caused no enhanced tissue reaction, except for an increase in the number of mast cells around three of the alloys.