Dental Materials Flashcards
What is fibre reinforcement?
Fibres embedded into a matrix (acrylic or resin) alongside an effective coupling agent (e.g. resin bonding agents, silanes) between the fibres
What are the 4 different fibre types used in fibre reinforced materials
- Carbon fibres
- Kevlar fibres
- Polyethylene fibres
- Glass fibres
What is a disadvantage of carbon fibres?
Black - not aesthetic
Which 2 fibre types are most commonly used in dentistry due to their translucent properties?
Polyethylene and Glass fibres
What are the properties of fibre-reinforced composite?
Biocompatible
Easily produced
Cost-effective
Improved flexural strength and fatigue resistance
Increased toughness and impact strength
Superior to metallic materials in terms of weight:strength ratio and modulus:weight ratio
Why are the benefits of fibre-reinforced composites only short-lived?
As resin absorbs water over time by diffusion.
This results in hygroscopic expansion of the resin which strains the fibre resin interface causing decreased flexural properties and failure of the material.
What is an ideal fibre weight (%) for a fibre-reinforced material?
5%
Must have sufficient fibres but not too many
Too many fibres can lead to abrasive and adhesive wear plucking
What are the clinical uses of fibre reinforced materials?
Acrylic dentures - to improve fatigue resistance and impact strength
Temporary bridges, periodontal splinting, and posts
Elimination of metal in PFM restorations - improves aesthetics and better biological tolerance
Why is pure gold no longer used as a restorative filling material?
Very time-consuming process
Insufficient rigidity and elasticity in high-stress situations
What are the 4 types of traditional casting cold alloys?
Type 1: LOW STRENGTH
- for castings subject to slight stress (e.g. inlays)
Type 2: MEDIUM STRENGTH
- for castings subject to moderate stress (e.g. inlays/onlays)
Type 3: HIGH STRENGTH
- for high-stress situations (e.g. onlays, thin cast backings, pontics, full crown)
Type 4: EXTRA HIGH STRENGTH
- for casting thin in cross section (e.g. saddles, bars, clasps, crowns, bridges, and partial dentures)
What is the composition of traditional casting gold alloys?
Au - decreases in stronger/more durable alloys
Cu - increases more in durable alloys
Ag - constant throughout different alloy types
Zn - constant throughout different alloy types
Pt/Pd - not used in type 1
From the % composition table of traditional gold allows, what can be evaluated as you move from type 1 to type 4?
As you move from type 1 to type 4 there is:
- Increase in hardness, proportional limit, and strength
- Decrease in ductility and corrosion resistance
Why does the harness increase as gold content decreases?
Due to solution hardening - the formation of solid solutions with gold
What effect does Ag have in traditional casting gold alloys?
Slight strengthening effect, and counteracts the red/copper tint.
What effect does Cu have in traditional casting gold alloys?
Increases strength and lowers MP
What will happen if the Cu content extends >16%?
The alloy will tarnish
What effect does Pt/Pd have in traditional casting gold alloys?
Increases both strength and MP of alloy
What effect does Zn have in traditional casting gold alloys?
Acts as a scavenger
What happens when all of the Zn runs out?
Once used up, its function is taken over by Cu
This is undesirable as it impairs the physical properties of the casting. Always have fresh alloy in the button to prevent this from occurring.
Which types of traditional gold casting alloy can be heat treated and which types cant?
Type 3/4 CAN be heat treated
Type 1/2 CANNOT be heat treated due to the lack of Ag and Cu that are necessary for atomic diffusions
What does heat treatment of type 3/4 traditional gold casting alloys result in?
Further hardening and a formation of a new crystalline structure
What must you do to avoid premature precipitation and order hardening of type 3/4 traditional casting gold alloys following heat treatment?
To avoid precipitation and order hardening, cool the casting rapidly from an excess of 600*C (red sprue indicates this)
Once the red colour is lost through cooling, plunge into cold water - this disintegrates the investment resulting in a fine grain structure
What is the risk associated with cold water cooling of a traditional casting gold alloy containing Pt/Pd?
And how might you eliminate this risk?
Coring (undesirable)
Eliminate this and improve corrosion resistance by carrying out homogenisation heat treatment - heat to 700*C for 10 minutes, quench
What colour are low gold content alloys?
White
What is the difference in properties between silver palladium alloys and gold alloys?
Silver palladium alloys have a lower density and ductility compared to gold alloys affecting castability
Silver palladium alloys may dissolve oxygen causing porosity unlike gold alloys (undesirable)
What are ceramics?
Composite materials
What are the properties of ceramics?
Potentially aesthetic
Prone to crack propagation
Brittle
How do ceramics lose strength over time?
Si-O bonds undergo alkaline hydrolysis from solubilisation of Na2O and K2O into hydroxide form leading to static fatigue.
This also occurs to filler particles in resin composites contributing to wear.
What are the 3 classes of ceramics?
- Predominantly glassy materials - high aesthetics
- Particle filled glasses
- Polycrystalline ceramics - high strength
What is the structure of the filler particles in particle filled glass ceramics?
Usually crystalline structure
What filler particles are present in particle filled glass ceramics to improve mechanical properties, opalescence, colour and opacity?
Leucite - dispersion strengthening
Al2O3 - etches at greater rate facilitating micro-mechanical attachment
What are the properties of polycrystalline ceramics?
Have no glassy component
Atoms packed in dense arrays - tougher/stronger than glass ceramics, inhibits crack propagation
Relatively opaque - unlike metals they transmit some light
Multilayered - different levels of flexural strength/translucency
How are polycrystalline ceramics manufactured?
By pressing them into oversized die or machined from block and sintered
What are ceramic trial pastes composed of?
Glycerine
Water
Titanium dioxide
Amorphous silica
Polyethylene glycol pigments
What is the most advantageous property of trial pastes?
They exhibit shear thinning - can be removed easily as viscosity changes
What must occur prior to cementation of the ceramic?
Silanisation of the fit surface of the ceramic
What happens to silane in the presence of oxygen?
It will degrade
Why must you NOT use conventional acid base cements with ceramics ?
As its etchant effect can exacerbate flaws
There is only one type of polycrystalline ceramic that can be used with conventional acid base cements.
Name this type of ceramic
Zirconium Oxide based ceramics
What type of acid is used to etch Feldspathic based ceramics?
Hydrofluoric acid