In this study, ZrSn alloy was thermally oxidized at 600 degrees C for 3 h and its morphological and structural characteristics, corrosion behavior, ion release and in vitro cytocompatibility were studied to evaluate the feasibility of applying it as dental implant. After oxidation, a dense black oxide layer formed on ZrSn alloy surface, which consisted of predominant monoclinic zirconia and a few non-stoichiometric oxides. The scratching and water contact angle test results demonstrated that the oxide layer exhibited good adhesion strength and similar hydrophilicity to zirconia. The oxidized ZrSn alloy showed higher corrosion resistance, as indicated by far lower corrosion current density and passive current density compared to pure Ti and untreated ZrSn alloy in artificial saliva with and without H2O2. The amount of ions released from the oxidized ZrSn alloy was much lower than that dissolved from pure Ti in simulated corrosive oral mediums. Moreover, the oxidized ZrSn alloy did not present any significant toxic effect to both osteoblast-like cells and fibroblast cells, and osteoblast-like cells could adhere well onto the surface and exhibited a good proliferative pattern. The combination of improved surface properties, superior corrosion resistance and good biocompatibility made the oxidized ZrSn alloy promising for oral implantology application. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.