DentistryLesson 2 of 2 in the course Restorative dentistry

Dental Amalgam: Composition, Setting, Clinical Use, and Safety

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Dental amalgam is a metallic restorative material used to repair cavities. This lesson introduces its ingredients, how it is placed, and the long history of its use.

Dental amalgam is formed by mixing liquid mercury with particles of an alloy, usually containing silver, tin, and copper. The solid alloy particles are sometimes called amalgam alloy; the finished dental amalgam is the material created when that alloy is mixed with mercury.

All flashcards

What is dental amalgam?
A restorative material formed by mixing liquid mercury with particles of a solid alloy, usually containing silver, tin, and copper.
What is trituration?
Mechanical mixing of amalgam alloy particles with liquid mercury.
What is the γ2 phase in dental amalgam?
A tin-mercury phase that is weak and prone to corrosion.
What distinguishes an admixed high-copper alloy?
It combines particles of different compositions, commonly silver-copper and silver-tin particles.
What does an amalgam separator do?
It captures amalgam waste before it enters wastewater, allowing the waste to be managed separately.

Quiz questions

  1. Which phase is weak and corrosion-prone in conventional dental amalgam?Answer: γ2 (Sn₈Hg)
  2. What distinguishes a single-composition high-copper alloy from an admixed alloy?Answer: Each particle contains silver-tin and copper-tin phases together.
  3. What does creep mean in dental amalgam?Answer: Gradual plastic deformation under sustained stress.
  4. What remains after the solvent in cavity varnish evaporates?Answer: Resin that seals dentinal tubules.
  5. What did United States EPA rules adopted in 2017 require of most dental practices?Answer: Use amalgam separators to capture waste before wastewater disposal.

Based on the Wikipedia article Amalgam (dentistry), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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