ABSTRACT
Objective: To study the corrosion resistance of orthodontic magnet with titanium nitride coating in artificial saliva. Methods: 6 samples of magnet in the size 3 mm?5 mm?7 mm were prepared.3 of them were coated with titanium nitride by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition,another 3 without coating were used as controls.The samples were immersed into artificial saliva at 37 ℃ for one month. Then the surface characters of two kinds of magnets were observed with the naked eye and by electron-probe microanalysis (EPMA). Results: The surface of the magnets with titanium nitride coating was fine and close in texture and there were no cleft and disintegrated area. However, that of the magnets without titanium nitride coating was uneven and coarse in texture,and there were evident clefts and disintegrated areas. Conclusion: The corrosion resistance of orthodontic magnets with titanium nitride coating is stronger than that without coating.