What metals are used in surgical and dental instruments?
Stainless steel is used in virtually all surgical instruments because they can be sterilized without rust or tarnish. Stainless steel is an alloy of iron and chromium. The chromium forms a tarnish-proof layer on the outer surface called passivisation. For a really sharp edge carbon steel might be used but this would only be for disposable items because carbon steel rusts very badly in the presence of steam sterilization. For dental implants titanium is used the most often with other materials often used to coat it. These materials have been chosen because they are very well tolerated by the body.
