Test 5 Flashcards
What kind of restoration is amalgam?
Direct
How long has amalgam been used in restoring teeth successfully?
Over 165 years
approximately 50 million placed each year.
What has stimulated the rise in tooth color restorations?
Due to the less than .01% adverse reactions and the concerns of patients, plus the lack of esthetics
there is still a great concern over the sensitivity experienced with tooth color restorations in posterior teeth
What is the most durable, easy to handle and has physical characteristics that are compatible in the mouth?
Amalgam
What is Alloy?
a mixture of two or more metals
What is the definition and composition of amalgam?
Metallic restoration material composed of silver based alloy with mercury
composition- high copper alloy
Characteristics of amalgam
tarnish
corrosion
creep
high copper alloy
What is tarnish?
Surface discoloration by oxidation
What is corrosion?
breakdown by CHEMICAL reaction
What is creep?
gradual change in the shape of a restoration due to compression
what is a high copper alloy
admixed or spherical types require less mercury
What equipment is used to mix amalgam?
Amalgamator
What is the act of mixing amalgam?
trituration
What are the types of mixes of amalgam?
capsules (primary packaging today)
pellets (mercury)
powder (mercury)
what two ways can amalgam be manipulated?
hand (no longer in existence)
mechanical
what does mulling mean?
to bring to a uniform mass
What are the three ways mercury can enter the body?
inhalation
swallowing
careless use of mercury
when placing or removing amalgam restorations:
take precaution to prevent swallowing of amalgam or inhaling mercury. HVE and rubber dam minimize swallowing/inhaling of amalgam
what is the safe level of mercury in a 40 hour work week at the threshold limit value (TLV)
.005mg/m3
what main organ does mercury accumulate?
kidneys
what organs retain mercury the longest?
brain, kidneys, and testicles
what kind of test is done for mercury levels?
urine analysis
What are casting alloys?
indirect restorations
What did Taggart invent?
in the 1900’s, the lost wax technique restorations made from metal and cast into a mold