Dental Amalgam

By : Nehal gamal
Amalgam: is an alloy of mercury and one
or more other metals.

Dental amalgam is produced by mixing liquid

mercury with solid particles of an
alloy containing predominantly silver, tin,
and copper.
 Advantages of dental amalgam
1. Inexpensive.
2. Ease of use.
3. Maintain anatomical form.
4. Have adequate resistance to
fracture.
5. Prevent marginal leakage after a
period of time in the mouth.
6. Used in stress-bearing areas.
7. Have a relatively long service life
Disadvantages of dental amalgam
1. Its color does not match tooth
structure.
2. Amalgam restorations are
somewhat brittle.
3. Subject to corrosion and galvanic
action, may lead to breakdown at
the margins of tooth.
4. Amalgam do not help retain
weakened tooth structure.
5. High thermal conductivity.
6. Lack of adhesion
Role of Constituents in Ag-Sn: conventional amalgam contains 65 wt% Ag,
Amalgam 29 wt% Sn, and less than 6 wt% Cu
Silver (Ag) Copper (Cu) Zinc (Zn) Tin (Sn) Mercury (Hg)

strength

Tarnish &
corrosion
resistance

expansion

Creep
setting time
 2. Other elements
Zinc (Zn) Indium (In) Palladium (Pd)

Prevents oxidation of Reduces amount of Reduces corrosion

other elements during mercury vapor Greater luster
manufacturing. from restoration
Helps amalgamation
process
 Classification of dental amalgam

Lath-cut Admixed
(irregular) Spherical
 Spherical particles lathe-cut particles

• Require less mercury (smaller • Require more mercury (larger surface

surface area) area)
• Easier to wet • Particles more difficult to wet
40 to 45% Hg • 45 to 50% Hg
• Properties are better than lathe-cut • Properties are less than spherical
particles particles
Less condensation pressure More condensation pressure

Proximal contour is not adequate Better proximal contour

 I- Particle size
The average particle size of modern powders ranges
between 15 and 35 μm.

Very small particles (< 3 μm) increase the surface area

per
Coarse grained alloys are difficult to carve and
particles are easily dislodged from the surface.
 II. According to copper content
2. High copper amalgam
1. Low copper amalgam
It has > 6 wt% Cu
(conventional or I. Admixed
traditional amalgam) The admixed alloy has Ag-Cu
 It has < 6 wt% Cu spherical particles and lath-cut
conventional particles(1:2).
 Lath-cut (irregular) or II. Single composition
spherical Ag-Sn (Unicomposition)
Single composition alloy mainly
particles composed of Ag,Cu and Sn
spherical particles.
III. According to Zn content
1. Zinc containing amalgam 2. Zinc free amalgam
It has > 0.01 wt% Zn and It has < 0.01 wt%
not exceeding 1 wt%) . Zn.
Causes delayed expansion if
contaminated with moisture
during condensation.
H2O + Zn ZnO + H2
 Amalgamation processes
• The amalgam alloy is intimately mixed with liquid
mercury.
• This mixing is called trituration, which has the dual
function of
1.mixing the ingredients
2.removing surface oxide layers that have formed on
the alloy particles.
Conventional Low-Copper Alloys

Dissolution and precipitation

Hg dissolves Ag and Sn
from alloy.
Conventional Low-Copper Alloys
Gamma () = Ag3Sn Gamma 1 (1) = Ag2Hg3 Gamma 2 (2) = Sn8Hg
unreacted alloy matrix for  weakest and softest phase
strongest phase unreacted alloy  most corrosive phase

and and 2nd strongest  corrosion yields Hg which

corrodes the phase reacts with more gamma ()

least  volume decreases with time
due to corrosion
Sn8Hg + oxygen → oxides & chlorides + Hg
Admixed High-Copper Alloys
Mercury dissolves mainly the silver and tin in Ag3Sn,
whereas very little of the silver-copper eutectic particles
are dissolved.
The initial reaction is the same as for low-
copper dental amalgam,
1. γ + AgCu + Hg → γ 1+ γ2 + Ag-Cu + γ
The secondary, slow reaction is
γ2 + Ag-Cu → Cu6Sn5 (ή) + γ 1+ Ag-Cu
Sn diffuses to surface of
Ag-Cu particles
reacts with Cu to form
(eta prime) Cu6Sn5 ()
around unconsumed
Ag-Cu particles
 Single Composition High-Copper Alloys
Cu3Sn phase {Epsilon () }is finely dispersed
throughout the Ag3Sn phase.

 Liquid mercury diffuses into the

surface of these particles
and Ag2Hg3 as well as Cu6Sn5
are formed.
The reaction occurs in a ring around the spherical
particles and consists
of γ1 and η′ with no remaining γ
or ε in this ring.
 Uses
1 Class I, II and V (posterior) restorations
2. Core material
3. Buccal pits 4. Retrograde filling of apices of
roots after apicectomies
.
Packaging of amalgam alloy
• Powder
• Tablets
• Capsules
 MANIPULATION OF DENTAL AMALGAM
The manipulation of amalgam involves :
1. Selection of alloy
2. Proportioning and dispensing
3. Trituration
4. Condensation
5. Carving
6. Polishing
 1. SELECTION OF ALLOY
The selection of an alloy involves a number of factors,
including setting time, particle size, shape, and composition.
A high-copper alloy is selected because the result is a
restoration with no 2, high early strength, low creep, good
corrosion resistance, and good resistance to marginal
fracture.
• Spherical alloy has higher strength.
• Fine particles produce smoother surface during carving and
finishing.
 2. PROPORTIONING AND DISPENSING

• In the past Hg:alloy ratio was 3:1 or 8:5.

• Squeezing was required to remove excess Hg.

• Eames technique (no squeeze) was developed.

• Now, the Hg-alloy was low (1:1) and even less.

• The percentage of mercury varies from 43% to 54%.

• Weighing the mercury and alloy components by using a balance
• Volume dispensers
• Preproportioned tablet
• Encapsulated materials
 3-MIXING OF AMALGAM
• Trituration of amalgam alloy and mercury is done with a
mechanical mixing device called an amalgamator or triturator.
• Mortar and pestle was used previously.
 • Undermixing, normal mixing, or overmixing can result from
variations in the condition of trituration .

• undermixed: dull • normal mix: shiny • overmixed: soupy and

and crumbly and separates in a tends to stick to the
single mass inside of the capsule.
 4-CONDENSATION OF AMALGAM
Manual, mechanical, and ultrasonic amalgam condensers .
Importance of condensation:
• 1. adaptation • 2. the operator • 3. Compact
controls the the amalgam
of the
amount of mix into a
amalgam
denser mass
mass to the mercury that
and
cavity walls is will remain in eliminating
accomplished the finished voids
restoration
Circular condenser tips
may prove adequate,
whereas in other cavity
areas and designs, the
triangular, oval, crescent,
or other shape of tip may
be effective
• With irregularly shaped
• With spherical alloys,
alloys, use condensers with a
use condensers with
relatively small tip, 1 to 2
larger tips, and a vertical
mm, and apply high
and lateral direction.
condensation forces in a
vertical direction.
 5-CARVING, FINISHING AND POLISHING
• Usually the amalgam is sufficiently well set and hardened that carving with
sharp instruments can be started after condensation.

• Burnishing with a metal instrument having a broad surface contact to smooth the
surface and reduce surface roughness.
• If final finishing and polishing are to be done at a second appointment, the
restoration should be left undisturbed for a period of at least 24 hours
The patient should be cautioned that the freshly inserted restoration is
relatively weak and that heavy biting forces should be avoided for a few
hours after the time of insertion

• High-copper unicompositional amalgams

with high early strengths can be finished
at the first appointment.
• Polishing should be directed from the center toward the margins of the
restoration.
PROPERTIES OF DENTAL AMALGAM

1. STRENGTH
2. CREEP
3. Dimensional change
4. Corrosion
5. THERMAL PROPERTIES
6. Bonding of amalgam
 PROPERTIES OF DENTAL AMALGAM

STRENGTH

• Amalgam is • The high-copper • The effect of

strongest in unicompositional various
compression and materials have the manipulative
much weaker in highest strengths conditions can
tension and shear early-compressive and affect strength
as it is brittle. the lowest for lathe- properties.
cut alloy.
CREEP
• Under a continued
• The highest value
application of force in
was found for the
compression, an
low-copper cut A direct relationship
amalgam shows a
alloy, and the exists between 2
continued deformation,
lowest values were content and creep
even after the mass has
for the high-copper which correlated
completely set.
unicompositional with marginal
breakdown or
spherical alloys.
ditching of the filling
 DIMENSIONAL CHANGE
• Excessive delayed dimensional
• Modern amalgams mixed with
change results from contamination
mechanical amalgamators
of a zinc-containing alloy with
usually have negative
water during trituration or
dimensional changes
condensation
• The dimensions become nearly
constant after 6 to 8 hours. Mercury content results in
shrinkage but also in
mechanical strength.
CORROSION
Tarnishing simply involves the loss of luster from the surface of
a metal or alloy due to formation of a sulphide layer on the
surface.
γ1 has the highest corrosion resistance and γ2 has the lowest.
Corrosion products fill the gap between filling and tooth walls
reducing microleakage (self-sealing).
Excessive corrosion can lead to
1-increased porosity,
2-reduced marginal integrity,
3 -loss of strength
4-release of metallic products
into the oral environment.
THERMAL PROPERTIES
Amalgam has a relatively high
value of thermal diffusivity.
• Varnish in superfacial
cavity, glass ionomer or
zinc phosphate bases in Coefficient of thermal expansion for

moderate cavities and amalgam is about three times greater

calcium hydroxide liner than that for dentine. This may cause

and base in deep cavities micro leakage around the filling

 BONDING OF AMALGAM
The technique for placing
• There is no true
adhesion between a bonded amalgam
amalgam and tooth consists of initially
structure. placing the bonding agent
and resin cement into the
cavity and before setting,
the amalgam is
condensed into the cavity
The advantages of amalgam bonding include:
• 1. Amalgam retention
• 2. Reducing microleakage and post operative sensitivity
• 3. Decreased incidence of recurrent caries
• 4. Decreased pulpal inflammation

• Bonding agents for amalgam have not been successful in

increasing the bond strength in the repair of amalgam
restorations
 FORMS OF MERCURY

• Mercury has many forms,

• Mercury vapor is • Mercury vapor has
including organic and
released, in minute also been reported
inorganic compounds. The
quantities, during to be released
most toxic organic
mixing, setting, during mastication
compounds are methyl and
polishing, and and drinking of hot
ethyl mercury, and the next
removal. beverages.
most toxic form is mercury
vapor.
• Under normal conditions amalgam is covered by saliva,
tending to reduce vapor pressure.

• Application of a sealant resin for the first several days after

insertion.

• Adding indium (8% to 14%) also decreases the vapor pressure.

 RECOMMENDATIONS IN MERCURY HYGIENE
1. Store mercury in unbreakable, tightly sealed containers.
2. Perform all operations involving mercury over areas that have impervious and
suitably lipped surfaces.
3. Clean up any spilled mercury immediately.
4. Use tightly closed capsules during amalgamation.
5. Use a no-touch technique for handling the amalgam.
6. Salvage
all amalgam scrap and store it under water that contains
sodium thiosulfate.

7. Work in well-ventilated spaces.

8. Avoid carpeting dental operatories; decontamination of carpeting is
very difficult.
9. Avoid heating mercury or amalgam.

10. Use water spray and suction when grinding dental amalgam
11. Use conventional dental amalgam condensing procedures, manual and
mechanical, but do not use ultrasonic amalgam condensers.

12. Perform yearly mercury determinations on all personnel regularly

employed in dental offices.

13. Determine mercury vapor levels in operatories periodically.

14. Alert all personnel who handle mercury, especially during training or
indoctrination periods, of the potential hazard of mercury