Dental materials Flashcards
What is a thermoplastic material?
a material is solid at room temperature but at high temperatures melt with no decomposition
What kind of structure do waxes have?
crystalline structure
At softening temperature, what kind of transition do waxes undergo?
solid-solid transition
What kind of mineral hydrocarbon chain is paraffin wax?
straight chain
What kind of mineral hydrocarbon chain is microcrystalline wax?
branched chain
Name 6 uses of wax in dentistry
1) modelling
2) indirect - modelling wax
3) carding (teeth on card for lab)
4) boxing in
5) joining component (sticky wax)
6) modelling - direct - inlay wax
What kind of components can be incorporated into waxes? name 4
1) resins
2) oils
3) fats
4) pigments
At what temperature do paraffin waxes soften?
around 37-55 degrees
What is the melting point of paraffin wax?
around 48-70 degrees
What does the addition of microcrystalline wax do?
increase in melting point
decreases softening point
What does the addition of beeswax do?
decreases brittleness
decreases flow
What is the lost wax technique?
method of metal casting in which a molten metal is poured into a mould that has been created by means of a wax model. Once the mould is made, the wax model is melted and drained away
What is a refractory die?
any die material that is capable of enduring the high temperatures that occur during firing or casting procedures.
What is a refractory die formed of and what is done to them before use?
phosphate bonded investments
They are both fixed and glazed before use
What are the four types of investment materials?
1) dental plaster or stone
2) gypsum bonded
3) silica bonded
4) phosphate bonded
Is wax a thermoplastic material?
yes
What three components usually make up a wax?
animal, vegetable and mineral (hydrocarbon)
What is an example of a direct modelling wax?
inlay wax
What dictates the properties of a wax?
dependent on the blending of the different components incorporated into the wax
Why are paraffin waxes well suited to the oral environment?
softens between 37-55 degrees so will not melt in the mouth
What is modelling wax used for in the lost wax technique, explain the process
used to form restoration/prosthesis in wax which is then embedded in investment material (moulding material). It is then boiled out leaving a void in the shape of the restoration/prosthesis which material can be poured into to cast up the restoration
What type of wax is used for acrylic dentures?
modelling wax
Why is modelling wax well suited to the design of acrylic dentures?
withstands intraoral temperature
amenable to chairside adjustment
tough enough for undercut withdrawal
no tearing/chipping/flaking
no residue in investment mould upon boiling out
What type of wax is used for crowns/inlays/bridges?
inlay wax
What colour is inlay wax?
blue
What is a unique property of inlay wax?
it locks into undercuts and fractures - highlights the presence of undercut in inlay space which should ideally be parallel
What is a refractory die?
a dental cast which is heat resistant upon which we can form, in wax, complex structures so when we lose the wax via the lost wax technique, we are left with the shape of the complex structure in the heat resistant mould
Name two types of material in which a refractory die is used to form a framework
porcelain
cobalt chrome
What are the two main rigours of processing that refractory dies must be able to withstand?
heat and pressure
Of the four types of investment materials, which one is not heat resistant and therefore is not used for alloy casting?
Dental plaster and stone
instead it is used to form partial and fill acrylic dentures
What are dental plaster and stone investment materials used to form?
partial and full acrylic dentures
Which three investment materials are used for heat resistant investment?
Phosphate bonded
gypsum bonded
silica bonded
What are gypsum bonded investment materials mainly used to make moulds for?
gold casting alloys
What are silica bonded investment materials mainly used to make moulds for?
base metal casting alloys including cobalt chrome
Why are silica bonded investment materials rarely used?
Expensive
What are phosphate bonded investment materials mainly used to make moulds for?
base metal and gold casting alloys
cast ceramics and glasses
also used for refractory dies in ceramic build ups
For investment materials to be successful, what properties should they ideally have?
accurate - capture shape, size, detail
temperature shape stable (>1000 degrees)
high compressive strength
compensate for casting shrinkage
alloy compatible
What is an investment material?
materials are used to encase the wax designed for the lost wax casting technique
What are the two components of an investment material for alloy, porcelain and glass casting?
1) Binder - hold everything together
2) refractory material - usually silica, heat resistant material
Which materials shrink on casting as they cool?
alloys and ceramics
For an accurate fit of a restoration, what must an investment material compensate for?
Shrinkage of alloy or ceramic
Why should an investment material expand?
to compensate for alloy or ceramic shrinkage
Name 4 mechanisms of investment expansion
1) thermal
2) setting expansion of the binder
3) hygroscopic expansion
4) crystalline inversion of allotropic forms of silica
What is hygroscopic expansion?
When additional water is brought into contact with the setting material, an increased expansion is observed.
Explain how a thermal mechanism can cause investment expansion
heating up causes expansion of investment material
What are two examples of binders in investment materials which can expand upon setting?
Calcium sulfate dihydrate - gypsum bonded
magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate - phosphate bonded
What are two ways of bringing about hygroscopic expansion?
1) placing mould into water at initial set
2) lining casting ring with damp asbestos equivalent
What two forms does silica exist in?
alpha form and beta form
Expansion can also be brought about by crystalline inversion of quartz silica, what does this mean and what do they change from and to?
sudden volume change in crystalline quartz particles as they pass 575 degrees. change from quartz alpha to quartz beta at 575 degrees
What is cristobalite?
crystalline form of silica
At what temperature does cristobalite low silica, an investment material, expand and turn into cristobalite high silica?
210 degrees
At what temperature do gypsum bonded investment materials decompose?
1200 degrees
At what temperature does gypsum bonded investment material decompose and how does this cause porosity?
Gypsum-bonded investments decompose above 1200°C by interaction of silica with calcium sulphate to liberate sulphur trioxide gas leading to porosity
Why are phosphate bonded investment materials the most popular?
higher strength
What materials can phosphate bonded investment materials be used for?
all dental alloys
What is a disadvantage of silica bonded investment material compared to gypsum bonded or phosphate bonded materials?
Silica bonded investment material lacks porosity which inhibits the escape of air, generating back pressure and possible incomplete casting
What is the importance of porosity in an investment material?
when we force alloy into the investment material, we want it to flow in. If air is unable to escape due to the lack of porosity back pressure is generated and casting will not fill, leading to incomplete cast
What does the sprue former look like?
A funnel into the sprue
What is the metal casting ring?
the cylinder the investment material is contained within
What is the reservoir regarding metal casting?
the dilated portion of the sprue
How long does it take to burn out wax prior to casting?
temperature held for 30 mins to 1 hour prior to casting
At what temperature is wax burnt out for a gold alloy cast?
700-750 degrees
At what temperature is wax burnt out for a palladium silver alloy cast?
730-815 degrees
At what temperature is wax burnt out for a base metal alloy cast?
815-900 degrees
What techniques can be used to melt an alloy and what are the two main techniques?
main 2 - furnace and electrical resistance
gas air torch
oxyacetylene torch
electrical induction
What techniques can be used to force the molten alloy into the mould and which are the main 2 techniques?
Main 2 - vacuum and centrifugal force
air pressure
gravity
steam pressure
Name 4 casting faults which can occur
1) finning and bubbling
2) incomplete casting
3) porosity in casting
4) over/under sized casting
What is finning?
a fault where sharp metal fins appear perpendicular to the surface of the casting
What can finning and bubbling form as a consequence of?
due to investment mould cracking, for example, under the force applied when forcing the alloy into the investment mould
What can incomplete casting occur as a result of?
poor space design or failure - eg. sprue not facilitating flow of molten alloy
alloy not molten
lack of force
back pressure
cooling shrinkage
What can porosity of a casting occur as a result of? 2 reasons
1) embedding of fractured investment material in the casting
2) gaseous porosity due to alloy entrapment of oxygen usually taken up by Cu, Au, Ag, Pt or Pd in alloys when molten - but could be insufficient amount of elements if alloy reused
What elements do base metal casting alloys definitely NOT contain?
Au, Ag, Pt or Pd
What are the two types of base metal casting alloys?
CoCr
NiCr
What is CoCr mainly used to construct?
partial denture frameworks and complete denture bases
What is NiCr mainly used for?
applications in crown and bridge
What are the constituents of CoCr?
cobalt
chromium - no less than 25%
molybdenum - no less than 4%
Proportions of what three elements added together should make up no less than 85% of CoCr?
Cobalt + nickel + chromium
Traces of what three elements are found in CoCr to improve its casting and handling properties?
Be, Si, C
What is the role of Co and Ni in CoCr?
confer hardness and strength
What is the role of Cr in CoCr?
confers both hardness and corrosion resistance via the passivating effect
Why are the trace elements Be, Si and C included in the composition of CoCr?
improve casting and handling properties
What is the passivating effect?
spontaneous oxidation in the air improves corrosion resistance of alloys
What are the constituents of NiCr?
Nickel - main constituent
Chromium - no less than 20%
Molybdenum - no less than 4%
Beryllium - no less than 2%
Proportions of what three elements must make up no less than 85% of NiCr?
Nickel + chromium + cobalt
What is the fusion temperature of both CoCr and NiCr?
1200-1500 degrees C
How is the fusion temperature of CoCr and NiCr achieved?
oxyacetylene torch or electrical induction furnace
The fusion temperature of NiCr and CoCr is higher than that of what alloy?
higher than gold alloys
The density of NiCr and CoCr is lower than what alloy?
gold alloys
To avoid miscasting CoCr and NiCr, what is required?
additional casting thrust
porous investment material required to allow egress of air
What is steel an alloy of?
alloy of iron and less than 2% carbon
Why should the percentage of carbon present in steel not be increased past 2%?
it will become brittle and unsuitable for cold working
Steel can be shaped at temperatures well below the metals recrystallisation temperature, what can this cause and what are the pros/cons?
may lead to work hardening
pro - can toughen up the alloy
con - predisposed to fracture if overdone
What structure does steel exist in when heated above 723 degrees C?
Austenite
What is austenite (structure)?
an interstitial solid solution of carbon in a face centred cubic iron matrix
At what temperature does steel exist in its austenite phase?
above 723 degrees
Below 723 degrees, which two phases of steel exist?
Ferrite
Cementite
What is a mixture of ferrite and cementite termed?
Pearlite