Precious metal plating is what we specialize in here at ProPlate®. We do a wide variety of precious metal plating for various uses. One of these uses is in the dental field. The hardware used in braces has many specific requirements. First, the plating on the braces must be very wear-resistant and durable. Second, the plating must be a close match to the color of the patient’s teeth if requested. Third, the plating must be biocompatible.
Read more about ProPlate’s Dental Plating Solutions
- Durability/Wear resistance
- Color Matching
- Biocompatibility
Durability
Durability is essential for hardware that will be used in the mouth. Stainless steel is generally the base material used for brackets. We plate these brackets with either a hard Gold or Rhodium layer. Both Rhodium and hard Gold are among the best precious metals used for durability and wear resistance. A thick layer of Gold is often requested for the brackets, but when the customer wants the bracket to match the color of the teeth, we have a specific Rhodium bath only for that purpose.
Color
The Rhodium chemistry is generally a gray color. At ProPlate®, we have specific Rhodium for our dental customers called bright Rhodium. This chemistry offers a plating layer that is more of a white color. The color is specifically for the application of matching the patient’s teeth. Bright Rhodium offers all the same qualities as Rhodium with only a brighter white appearance.
Biocompatibility
Biocompatible materials are essential for products used in the human body. Biocompatible materials do not produce a toxic or immunological response when exposed to the body or bodily fluids. Gold, Rhodium, and Platinum are generally the main choices when plating a material used in the medical or dental field. For biocompatibility, engineering efforts are still being made to develop new materials and plating chemistries with superior properties.
