Laser Fusion of Selected Dental Casting Alloys

¹ Fixed Prosthodontics Training Program, Wadsworth Veterans Administration Hospital Center, Los Angeles, California 90073, USA, and Section of Biomaterials and Dental Research Institute, University of California, School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, California 90024

Laser-fused precious, nonprecious, and mixed metal welds were investigated for optimum weld energy requirement as determined by tensile strength tests. These strengths were compared to soldered unions. Laser fusion is as good as, or better than, unions created by conventional dental joining methods.