Amalgam Flashcards
what type of material is amalgam?
an alloy
how can amalgam be classified?
by its:
- composition
- particle shape & size
what are the different compositions of amalgam?
- traditional
- copper enriched
what materials is amalgam composed of?
- Ag (silver)
- Sn (tin)
- Cu (copper)
- Zn (zinc)
- Hg (mercury)
what makes up the powder aspect of amalgam?
- silver-tin (Ag3Sn)
- copper
- zinc
- mercury in powder
what is the liquid aspect of amalgam composed of?
Hg (mercury)
what is the function of the silver-tin compound found in amalgam?
it reacts with the Hg liquid to form amalgam
what is the function of copper in the makeup of amalgam?
increases strength and hardness of material
what are the characteristics of the gamma-1 phase of the amalgam setting reaction?
- good corrosion resistance
what are the characteristics of the gamma-2 phase of amalgam?
- weak and poor corrosion resistance
what amalgam phase has the highest tensile strength?
gamma phase
what handling factors may affect the properties of amalgam?
- proportioning and titration
- condensation/how well it is packed into cavity
- carving and polishing
what are the amalgam properties dependant on?
- handling factors
- cavity design
- affected by corrosion
what type of cavities are amalgam restorations particularly suited to? why is this?
Cavities in posterior teeth, due to higher abrasion resistance than materials such as composite.
what factors may decrease the strength of an amalgam restoration?
- undermining
- low condensation pressure (when packing into cavity)
- slow rate of packing
- corrosion