Dental Amalgam

Professor
Dr Tahir Ali Khan

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 Objective
 At the end the student will be able to
know
 The properties of amalgam

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  Superior is the person in whose
company no body feels inferior

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 Material-Related Variables
 Leakage
 Dimensional change

 Strength

 Corrosion

 Creep

 Thermal Properties

 Biological Properties

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 MICRO or Nano LEAKAGE

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 DIMENSIONAL CHANGES
CONTRACTION EXPANSION

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 Net contraction
 Type of alloy used

 spherical alloys have more

contraction
 Less mercury

 Zinc (Delayed Expansion)

 Zn+H O → Zno+H
2 2

Hydrogen cuauses considerable delayed expansion



(40 micrometer, during trituration and condensation

process)
 Condensation technique

 Greater condensation = higher contraction

 Trituration time
 Over trituration causes higher contraction

14/04/23 Phillip’s Science of Dental Materials132003

 Strength

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Property Enamel Dentine Amalgam

Modulus of 50 12 30
elasticity GPa

Compressive 250 280 350

strength at 7
day
Tensile strength 35 40 – 260 60
at 7 day

Vickers 350 60 100

Hardness

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 Corrosion
 Excessive corrosion can lead to

 Increased porosity

 Reduced marginal integrity

 Loss of strength

 Release of metallic products into

the oral environment

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 Phases in decreasing order of
corrosion
 Ag Hg3
2

 Ag Sn
3

 Ag Cu
2

 Cu Sn
3

 Cu Sn5
6

 Sn Hg
7
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 Corrosion
 Should not be confused with tarnish.
 Reduces strength
 Seals margins
 low copper

 6 months

 SnO , SnCl
2

 gamma-2 phase
 high copper
 6 - 24 months

 SnO , SnCl, CuCl

2

 eta-phase (Cu6Sn5)
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 TARNISH & CORROSION
 Undergoes Chemical & Electrochemical corrosion
 Chemical corrosion results in formation of
surface Silver sulfide layer

 Electrochemical corrosion – Galvanic, Crevice &

Stress Corrosion
 The most common corrosion products of
traditional amalgam alloys are oxides &
oxychlorides of tin
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 Material type Creep %
 Convention amalgam alloy 2.5
 Admixed 0.2
 Copper enriched 0.6
containing 0.5 %
palladium

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 Creep

 High-copper amalgams have creep resistance

 prevention of gamma-2 phase

 requires >12% Cu total

 single composition spherical

 eta (Cu Sn ) embedded in gamma-1 grains

6 5

 interlock
 admixture
 eta (Cu Sn ) around Ag-Cu particles
6 5

 improves bonding to gamma 1

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 Thermal Properties

 Relatively high value of thermal

diffusivity.
 A cavity liner or base is
recommended to be used under
amalgam restoration.
 The coefficient of thermal
expansion is 3 times greater
than that for dentine

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 Biological Properties

 2 aspects: on Patient and on Dentist & Auxiliary staff.

 Neurotoxicity
 Renal dysfunction
 Birth defects
 Reduce immunocompitence
 Compromised general health.

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 Thanks

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