topic A What is dental amalgam? Should you use it in your dental practice?

Introduction  Dental amalgam has been in use for more than 175 years and has been used for hundreds of millions of restorations.  This material is used to restore teeth with decay.  It is one of the materials used for direct restorations include, silver amalgam, composite resin and gold foil.

History  Dental amalgams were first documented in a Tang Dynasty medical text Hsin Hsiu Pen Tsao written by Su Kung in 659.

History  In the west countries, it appeared in Germany in [3][4]  In the 1800s, amalgam became the dental restorative material of choice due to its low cost, ease of application, strength, and durability. [5]

Composition mercury + metal alloy mixture  half-to-half  one-to-two Main component ： Ag 、 Sn Secondary component ： Cu 、 Zn The relative ratios between the other metals used in dental amalgam are also highly variable.

Properties Ag Advantages Enhances the strength Reduces liquidity Forming a metallic luster Disadvantages Mixing difficulty Engraving is not easy Not easy to fill

Properties Sn Advantages Easy engraving Disadvantages Difficults solidification Loss strength Increases liquidity

Properties Cu Advantages More hard Reduces liquidity Disadvantages Increases the chances of corrosion Causes surface discoloration

How safe is amalgam? the degree of harm caused by mercury in the body is related to the amount anxiety, irritability, memory loss, headaches and fatigue. research have concluded that amount released from amalgam in the mouth is very low. In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluated the research and found no reason to limit the use of amalgam.

Should anyone consider alternatives to amalgam fillings? people have allergic reactions to the mercury in amalgam. pregnant women people who have high exposure to mercury

Pros and Cons Advantages Amalgam fillings are considered one of the best filling methods of all time. Here’s why:

Advantages Cheap Resistance Malleable Strong can be placed in one visit self-sealing can be used in a wet environment long track record less technique sensitive.

Pros and Cons Disadvantages At the same time, dental amalgams have a lot of disadvantages to consider.

Disadvantages Color temperature changes allergic reaction environmental pollution Controversy removal of some healthy tooth structures

Comparison Silver Fillings (Amalgams) Advantages Durability Strength Expense Disadvantages Poor aesthetics Destruction of more tooth structure Discoloration Cracks and fractures Allergic reactions

Comparison Cast Gold Fillings Advantages Durability Strength Aesthetics Disadvantages Expense Additional office visits Galvanic shock

Comparison Tooth-colored Composites Advantages Aesthetics Bonding to tooth structure Versatility Disadvantages Lack of durability increased chair time Additional visits Chipping Expense

Conclusion Affordable Stable Safety

Reference Bjørklund, G (1989). "The history of dental amalgam (in Norwegian)". Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen 109 (34–36): 3582–3585. PMID Czarnetzki, A.; Ehrhardt S. (1990). "Re-dating the Chinese amalgam-filling of teeth in Europe". International Journal of Anthropology 5 (4): 325–332. Bharti R, Wadhwani KK, Tikku AP, Chandra A (2010). "Dental amalgam: An update". J Conserv Dent 13 (4): 204–208. doi: / PMC PMID