On clinical corrosion of pins.

In laboratory and animal experiments over a period of four months and using energy dispersive x-ray analysis compositional changes were studied for stainless steel pins, gold plated stainless steel pins and gold alloy pins. Varying degrees of compositional changes were observed for all the studied situations. Generally speaking the results, however, indicate that in vitro corrosion in fresh saliva is more destructive than in vivo corrosion especially when the pins are used to retain amalgam restorations.