Adhesive techniques are now used for many dental restorative materials, including amalgam. Several generations of dentine bonding agents have been developed, mainly for bonding composite resins. When bonding is used with amalgam restorations, the need for retention and resistance form is reduced, the seal is improved, and some procedures, such as amalgam sealants, which were not previously poss...

There is significant public concern about the potential health effects of exposure to mercury vapour (Hg(0)) released from dental amalgam restorations. The purpose of this article is to provide information about the toxicokinetics of Hg(0), evaluate the findings from the recent scientific and medical literature, and identify research gaps that when filled may definitively support or refute the ...

Amalgam has been the material of choice for restoring posterior teeth for more than 100 years. The past 25 years have witnessed significant advances in restorative materials themselves and in the bonding systems for retaining a restoration in the prepared tooth. As a result, there has been a shift toward resin composite materials during this same period because of concerns about the esthetics a...

OBJECTIVES This study evaluated the effect of surface polishing on mercury release from dental amalgam after treatment with 16% carbamide peroxide gel. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ninety-six samples from two different amalgam brands were prepared in truncated cone-shaped PVC polymer molds with an external surface area of 195 mm(2). Half of the specimens were polished with green and red rubber, a br...

Clarkson and Magos (2006) provide their perspectives on the toxicology of mercury vapor and dental amalgam. As scientists who are involved in preparing a German federal guideline regarding dental amalgam, we welcome additional scientific data on this issue. However, Clarkson and Magos do not present all the relevant studies in their review. The additional data provided here show that: (a) Denta...

The impact of dental amalgam on the development of Parkinson's disease (PD) is still uncertain, although a positive association between dental amalgam and PD has been found in a few case-control studies. The patients with amalgam fillings restored between 2000 and 2008 were identified by using the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan. The same number of patients who had...

An assessment was conducted of the discharge from dental facilities of mercury in the form of amalgam to surface waters in the United States. Two pathways were examined – effluent from publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) and air emissions from sewage sludge incinerators (SSIs). The annual use of mercury in the form of amalgam in the U.S. is approximately 35.2 tons (31.9 metric tons). It was ...

The ions released from conventional and high-copper amalgams in contact with titanium were quantitatively analyzed in a 0.9% NaCl solution at 37 degrees C when the surface area ratio of titanium/amalgam was set up as 1/10, 1/1, or 10/1. The corrosion potentials of the amalgams and titanium were measured under the same conditions. Surface analyses on the amalgams were also employed using SEM wit...

Dental amalgam is widely used as a restorative material even though it is not esthetic and there has been extensive anti-amalgam rhetoric. Although other materials have improved greatly, amalgam has the proven safety record and best cost-to-benefit ratio. Clinical evidence indicates that, in the posterior permanent dentition--where esthetics is not a primary concern--the small, minimally prepar...