Dental Amalgam Flashcards
What is dental amalgam?
an allow mixed with mercury
What is dental amalgam commonly used for?
posterior restorations
What is the alloy in dental amalgam made from?
silver
tin
copper solid particles
why is zinc added to dental amalgam ?
as a deoxidiser to make it less brittle
what is the composition of dental amalgam controlled by?
ISO standard
What is the setting reaction for dental amalgam?
set by reacting with mercury which results in phases
What are the dimensional changed during setting dental amalgam?
30 minutes - small shrinkage
30-60 minutes - expansion
What causes amalgam to shrink during setting?
mercury diffusing into the alloy
What causes dental amalgam to expand during setting?
crystallisation
What is the overall setting effect of dental amalgam?
net expansion/ contraction
What is the ISO limit on dental amalgam setting ?
+ or - 0.1% expansion/ contraction
At what time would you reach a functional compressive strength when setting dental amalgam?
15-20 minutes
At what time would you reach a final strength when setting dental amalgam?
24 hours
What minimum depth should be packed with dental amalgam?
2mm
How do you fill with dental amalgam?
in thin sections, overpack, then carve back the mercury layer