Materials + Restorative Flashcards
(173 cards)
Composition of amalgam
- Alloy of silver, tin, copper, zinc.
- Tin: Helps with dimensional change.
- Copper: Prevents corrosion, reduces fracture.
- Zinc: Scavenger for oxygen, forming Zinc oxide in place of copper/silver/tin oxides which would weaken the structure.
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Mercury: Wets alloy aka wetting agent
- ~50%
What are the three forms of mercury?
- Elemental: Liquid at room temp, used in amalgam.
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Organic: Methylmercury (most toxic), formed in water or soil by bacteria and can build up in fish.
- Can be formed in the mouth with saliva from elemental or inorganic form.
- Inorganic: Enters air from mining or deposits, burning coal/waste, manufacturing, exists in solid state.
What are the main ways that humans are exposed to mercury?
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Mercury Vapor: Dental restorations.
- Risk is from inhalation – excreted in feces and urine, as well as passing it to a fetus and breastmilk.
- Reduce by using a rubber dam and high volume air and water - m_ost risk is removing the amalgam._
- EPA mandated amalgam separated be used in dental offices by July 2020.
- Incinerated waste can release vapor.
- Methyl Mercury: From seafood.
- Inorganic Mercury: From food.
Gamma phase: Amalgam
- Unreacted alloy particles are the gamma phase (mainly silver and tin).
- Gamma phase combines with mercury, forming gamma 1 and gamma 2 phase.
- Gamma 1: Silver and mercury.
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Gamma 2: Tin and mercury.
- Early fracture and failure.
- Adding copper replaces gamma II phase and makes it stronger (Eta phase)
Amalgam: MOA
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Low-copper alloy
- Higher % of Gamma 2 phase → weakest phase prone to corrosion.
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High-copper alloy
- Lower % of Gamma 2 phase → increased mechanical strength, resistant to corrosion.
What are the three types of amalgam?
- Lathe-cut
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Spherical
- Amalgamates more readily and condenses more.
- Less mercury.
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Admixed
- Strongest proximal contacts
Amalgam: Creep
Max is 5% to be ADA certified, increases in size.
- Modern alloy should have not have >1% creep.
- Hydrogen gas release in when zinc reacts with water if you don’t have good isolation.
- Excess moisture causes delayed expansion.
Amalgam: Marginal seal
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Marginal seal improves over time due to corrosion - the only one.
- Eta phase (Cu6Sn5): oxidizes and transforms into CuCl2 and CuO2, takes twice as long to make marginal seal (2 years).
- Gamma 2 corrosion can seal margins (Handbook).
FDA re-classifying amalgam in 2009?
- Class II device (having some risk) and designated guidance that included warning labels:
- Possible harm of mercury vapors.
- Disclosure of mercury content.
- Contraindications for persons w/ known mercury sensitivity.
- Limited information regarding dental amalgam and the long-term health outcomes in pregnant women, developing fetuses, and children <6yo.
Amalgam: Indications
- Replace primary and permanent tooth structure lost due to:
- Active caries that has caused visible cavitation.
- Enamel defects or malformation that do not enlarge beyond the material’s limits.
- Restoration of moderate sized carious lesions when isolation cannot be achieved.
- Strong evidence supports safety and efficacy of dental amalgam in all populations.
What is the % survival for Class I-V amalgams in primary teeth?
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Primary teeth: 85-96% at 7yrs.
- Average annual failure rate: 3.2%
- Strength of evidence: Strong
What is the % survival for Class I amalgams in permanent teeth?
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Permanent teeth: 90-99% at 7yrs (Handbook)
- 89.8-98.9% (Guidelines)
- Strength of evidence: Strong
What is the % survival for Class II amalgams in primary molars? In permanent molars + premolars?
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Primary molars: 75% at 5yrs.
- Survive a minimum of 3.5yr and potentially in excess of 7yr.
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Permanent molars + premolars: 92% at 10yrs.
- Mean annual failure rate is equal to composite = 2.3%
- Strength of evidence: Strong
Amalgam: Prep design
- Strong under compression but weak under tension.
- Ideal prep floor is 0.5mm into dentin, 1.5mm from enamel surface.
- ⅓ of the intercuspal width.
- Convergent buccolingual walls, proximal box is wider at the cervical than occlusal, gingival wall should be flat not beveled .
- 1mm wide gingival seat.
Amalgam: Trituration
- Trituration: aka mixing in capsule
- Problem is under-triturated mix: Dry, sandy, sets too rapidly, high residual Hg content.
- Higher trituration speed gives shorter working time, most of the time is under triturated and can appear dry and sandy.
Amalgam: Condensation
- Back to back should be done at the same time
- Not going to be as strong immediately, but hardens over time.
Amalgam: Longevity
- May be better than composite in the long run.
- Higher additional restorative tx when composites placed; 7x more than amalgam.
- High replacement rates of composite in general practice setting can be attributed partially to GP’s confusion of marginal staining for marginal caries and their subsequent premature replacements.
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Guidelines conclude that median success rate of composite (92%) and amalgam (94%) are statistically equivalent after 10yrs.
- Equivalent mean annual failure rate = 2.3%
- Higher additional restorative tx when composites placed; 7x more than amalgam.
Amalgam: Advantages + Disadvantages
- Advantages
- Economics
- Time efficiency
- Less sensitive to operator variables
- Historical longevity
- Wide application potential
- Disadvantages
- Esthetics
- Lack of bonding does not initially seal restoration and can increase mechanical stresses in the remaining tooth structure.
- In 2yr, Gamma 2 corrosion can seal margin.
- Mechanical retention required.
- Environmental concerns w/ proper disposal.
Amalgam: Safety Concerns
- Mercury safety for human use + environment:
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Human use: No evidence of harmful effects from the use of amalgam in humans.
- Ingestion: Amalgam associated mercury intake below toxic thresholds.
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Allergy: Rare (<50 cases in 100yrs); lichenoid lesions have been reported.
- Replaced ONLY if lesion + amalgam contact.
- Use of rubber dam minimizes potential toxic risks.
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Environmental:
- WHO:53% of mercury emissions comes from dental amalgam.
- EPA: Dental amalgam is a significant contaminant of wastewaters.
- ADA: Use amalgam separators and amalgam waste recycling.
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Human use: No evidence of harmful effects from the use of amalgam in humans.
How to minimize amalgam risks?
- Proper ventilation
- Pre-capsulated alloys
- Appropriate scrap disposal (check specific state regulations)
SSCs: Composition
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Chrome Steel
- 18% chromium
- 9-13% nickel
- 0.8-20% carbon
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Nickel-Chrome Steel
- 15% chromium
- 77% nickel
- 7% iron
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Surgical Grade
- 65-73% iron
- 17-19% chromium
- 9-12% nickel
- <2% manganese, silicon, carbon
SSCs: MOA
- Full-coverage restorations restore form + function.
- Protects remaining tooth surfaces from caries formation.
SSCs: Indications in primary + permanent teeth
- Primary teeth:
- Extensive caries – other restorative options likely to fail.
- Circumferential cervical decalcification.
- Developmental defects (hypoplasia, hypoplastic teeth).
- Following pulpotomy/pulpectomy.
- Strong consideration for use for high caries risk patients.
- Strong consideration for use when treatment is completed under sedation or GA.
- Hall crown technique: No removal of caries, no LA, no reduction of tooth surfaces to fit SSC.
- Fractured teeth.
- Abutment for space maintainer.
- Proximal box that extends beyond line angles.
- Permanent teeth:
- Extensive caries – other restorative options likely to fail.
- Developmental defects (hypoplasia, hypoplastic teeth).
- Financial considerations.
- Interim restorations.
- Needs full coverage but not fully erupted.
SSCs: Safety concerns
Metal or nickel allergy