NEET MDS Lessons
Dental Materials
CASTING DEFECTS
Classification :
1) Distortion.
2) Surface roughness .
3) Porosity .
4)Incomplete casting .
5) Oxidation .
6) Sulfur contamination .
Distortion
It is usually due to the distortion of wax pattern.
To avoid this :
Manipulation of the wax at its softening temp
Invest the pattern at the earliest .
If storage is necessary store it in a refrigerator .
Surface roughness
May be due to :
Air bubbles on the wax pattern .
Cracks due to rapid heating of the investment .
High W/P ratio .
Prolonged heating of the mold cavity .
Overheating of the gold alloy .
Too high or too low casting pressure .
Composition of the investment .
Foreign body inclusion.
POROSITY
May be internal or external .
External porosity causes discolouration .
Internal porosity weakens the restoration .
Classification of porosity .
I .Those caused by solidification shrinkage :
a) Localised shrinkage porosity .
b) Suck back porosity .
c) Microporosity .
They are usually irregular in shape .
II ) Those caused by gas :
a) Pin hole porosity .
b) Gas inclusions .
c) Subsurface porosity .
Usually they are spherical in shape .
III ) Those caused by air trapped in the mold :
Back pressure porosity .
Localised shrinkage porosity
Large irregular voids found near sprue casting junction.
Occurs when cooling sequence is incorrect .
If the sprue solidifies before the rest of the casting , no more molten metal is supplied from the sprue which can cause voids or pits (shrink pot porosity )
This can be avoided by -
- using asprue of correct thickness .
- Attach the sprue to the thickest portion of the pattern .
-Flaring of the sprue at the point of atttachment .
-Placing a reservoir close to the pattern .
Suck back porosity
It is an external void seen in the inside of a crown opposite the sprue .
Hot spot is created which freezes last .
It is avoided by :
Reducing the temp difference between the mold & molten alloy .
Microporosity :
Fine irregular voids within the casting .
Occurs when casting freezes rapidly .
Also when mold or casting temp is too low .
Pin hole porosity :
Upon solidification the dissolved gases are expelled from the metal causing tiny voids .
Pt & Pd absorb Hydrogen .
Cu & Ag absorb oxygen .
Gas inclusion porosities
Larger than pin hole porosities .
May be due to dissolved gases or due to gases Carried in or trapped by molten metal .
Apoorly adjusted blow torech can also occlude gases .
Back pressure porosity
This is caused by inadequate venting of the mold .The sprue pattern length should be adjusted so that there is not more than ¼” thickness of the investmentbetween the bottom of the casting .
This can be prevented by :
- using adequate casting force .
-use investment of adequate porosity .
-place the pattern not more than 6-8 mm away from tne end of the casting .
Casting with gas blow holes
This is due to any wax residue in the mold .
To eliminate this the burnout should be done with the sprue hol facing downwards for the wax pattern to run down.
Incomplete casting
This is due to :
- insufficient alloy .
-Alloy not able to enter thin parts of the mold .
-When the mold is not heated to the casting temp .
-Premature solidification of the alloy .
-sprues blocked with foreign bodies .
-Back pressure of gases .
-low casting pressure .
-Alloy not sufficiently molten .
Too bright & shiny casting with short & rounded margins :
occurs when wax is eliminated completely ,it combines with oxygen or air to form carbon monoxide .
Small casting :
occurs when proper expansion is not obtained & due to the shrinkage of the impression .
Contamination of the casting
1) Due to overheating there is oxidation of metal .
2) Use of oxidising zone of the flame .
3) Failure to use a flux .
4) Due to formation sulfur compounds .
Black casting
It is due to :
1) Overheating of the investment .
2) Incomplete elimination of the wax .
CLEANING AND PICKLING ALLOYS
The surface oxidation or other contamination of dental alloys is a troublesome occurrence. The oxidation of base metals in most alloys can be kept to a minimum or avoided by using a properly adjusted method of heating the alloy and a suitable amount of flux when melting the alloy . Despite these precautions, as the hot metal enters the mold, certain alloys tend to become contaminated on the surface by combining with the hot mold gases, reacting with investment ingredients, or physically including mold particles in the metal surface. The surface of most cast, soldered, or otherwise heated metal dental appliances is cleaned by warming the structure in suitable solutions, mechanical polishing, or other treatment of the alloy to restore the normal surface condition.
Surface tarnish or oxidation can be removed by the process of pickling. Castings of noble or high-noble metal may be cleaned in this manner by warming them in a 50% sulfuric acid and water solution . . After casting, the alloy (with sprue attached) is placed into the warmed pickling solution for a few seconds. The pickling solution will reduce oxides that have formed during casting. However, pickling will not eliminate a dark color caused by carbon deposition
The effect of the solution can be seen by comparing the submerged surfaces to those that have still not contacted the solution. the ordinary inorganic acid solutions and do not release poisonous gases on boiling (as sulfuric acid does). In either case, the casting to be cleaned is placed in a suitable porcelain beaker with the pickling solution and warmed gently, but short of the boiling point. After a few moments of heating, the alloy surface normally becomes bright as the oxides are reduced. When the heating is completed, the acid may be poured from the beaker into the original storage container and the casting is thoroughly rinsed with water. Periodically, the pickling solution should be replaced with fresh solution to avoid excessive contamination.
Precautions to be taken while pickling
With the diversity of compositions of casting alloys available today, it is prudent to follow the manufacturer's instructions for pickling precisely, as all pickling solutions may not be compatible with all alloys. Furthermore, the practice of dropping a red-hot casting into the pickling solution should beavoided. This practice may alter the phase structure of the alloy or warp thin castings, and splashing acid may be dangerous to the operator. Finally, steel or stainless steel tweezers should not be used to remove castings from the pickling solutions. The pickling solution may dissolve the tweezers and plate the component metals onto the casting. Rubber-coated or Teflon tweezers are recommended for this purpose.
Mercury bioactivity
- Metallic mercury is the least toxic from and is absorbed primarily through the lungs rather than the GI tract or skin
- Mercury in the body may come from air, water, food. dental (a low amount). Or medical sources
- Half life for mercury elimination from body is 55 days .-
- mercury toxicity is <50 µm / m3 on average per 40-hour work week.
- Mercury hypersensitivity is estimated as less than 1 per 100,000,000 persons
- Indium-containing amalgams can have lower Hg vapor pressures than conventional dental amalgam
Effects of Amalgam.
(1) The combined effects of the properties of its ingredients should provide the most satisfactory restorative material.
(2) Quantity of mercury. Too little mercury in the mix results in a grainy, weak, readily tarnished, and corroded amalgam. Too much mercury will cause excessive expansion and weakened amalgam.
(3) Composition of the alloy. Composition of the alloy must include a minimum of 65 percent silver, a maximum of 29 percent tin, a maximum of 6 to 13 percent copper, and a maximum of two percent zinc by weight
(4) Correct proportion important. Before use, the silver alloy is mixed with pure and uncontaminated mercury. There are some alloys that are completely zinc free. They can therefore be used more successfully in a moisture-contaminated environment.
(5) Properties of the finished product.
Silver imparts strength, durability, and color, gives the alloy desirable setting expansion, decreases flow, and accelerates (decreases) the setting time.
Tin makes the amalgam easier to work, controls excessive setting expansion, and increases both flow and setting time.
Copper increases hardness, contributes to setting expansion, reduces flow, and decreases setting time.
Zinc increases workability, and unites with oxygen and other "impurities" to produce a clean amalgam.
Solution Liners (Varnishes)
Applications
o Enamel and dentin lining for amalgam restorations
o Enamel and dentin lining for cast restorations that are used with non adhesive cements
o Coating over materials that are moisture sensitive during setting
Components of copal resin varnish
o 90% solvent mixture (e.g., chloroform, acetone, and alcohol)
o 10% dissolved copal resin
Reaction
Varnish sets physically by drying → Solvent loss occurs in 5 to 15 seconds (a film forms the same way as drying fingernail polish)
Manipulation
Apply thin coat over dentin. enamel. And margins of the cavity preparation → Dry lightly with air for 5 seconds Apply a second thin coat → Final thickness is 1 to 5 µ.m
Properties
o Physical
Electrically insulating barrier that prevents shocks. Too thin to be thermally insulating. Decreases degree of percolation attributable to thermal expansion
o Chemical
Forms temporary barrier that prevents microleakage into dentinal tubules until secondary dentin formation occurs. Decreases initial tendency for electrochemical corrosion
o Mechanical
Very weak and brittle film that has limited lifetime
Film adheres to smear layer