Dental amalgam has been maligned as a filling material, both because of its clinical properties and its alleged effects on systemic health, but reports of its demise have been premature. As of 2008, 57 percent of dentists were placing amalgam (March 2008 Dental Products Report Survey). A large 2011 survey showed that dentists in the United States place more dental amalgam than composite for fir...

Worldwide publicity of the amalgam controversy has intensified the growing concerns on its utilization and safety. This controversy has grown beyond the confines of the dental profession itself and has become an emotional public health issue. Amalgam has been the material of choice for restoring posterior teeth for more than 100 years. Presently, there has been a shift toward resin composite an...

adhesive (green). _Besides the physical and mechanical properties of dental amalgam, one of the main reasons for its success is its clinical simplicity and forgiving technique. The derisory “drill and fill” slogan associated with dental treatment pertinently describes the provision of an amalgam restoration. The usual protocol for amalgam restorations is a single-stage procedure. Following deca...

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate four different approaches to the decision of changing or not defective amalgam restorations in first primary molar teeth concerning the loss of dental structure. Ditched amalgam restorations (n = 11) were submitted to four different treatments, as follows: Control group - polishing and finishing of the restorations were carried out; Amalgam group -...

CONTEXT Dental (silver) amalgam is a widely used restorative material containing 50% elemental mercury that emits small amounts of mercury vapor. No randomized clinical trials have determined whether there are significant health risks associated with this low-level mercury exposure. OBJECTIVE To assess the safety of dental amalgam restorations in children. DESIGN A randomized clinical trial...

Dental amalgam is one of the most commonly used materials in restorative dentistry. However, one of its major components, mercury, is of particular concern due to its potential adverse effects on humans and the environment. In this review, the environmental impact of dental amalgam will be discussed, with particular reference to the effects attributed to its mercury component. Mercury commonly ...

This clinical report describes a repair protocol for cusp fracture of a failed amalgam-dentin complex. A maxillary right first premolar with an amalgam restoration presented a buccal cusp fracture. Chairside repair has been undertaken by conditioning the existing amalgam restoration with silica coating (30 μm CoJet®-Sand), phosphoric acid etching the beveled enamel surface, priming dentin, and ...