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Initial mercury evaporation from experimental Ag-Sn-Cu amalgams containing Pd
M Koike1, J L Ferracane, J D Adey
1Course of Medical and Dental Sciences, Department of Developmental and Reconstructive Medicine, Division of Removable Prosthodontics and Management of Oral Function, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan.
Biomaterials
|February 26, 2004
Summary
Adding palladium (Pd) to silver-tin-copper (Ag-Sn-Cu) dental alloys significantly reduces mercury (Hg) vapor release during setting. This palladium-enhanced alloy formulation offers a promising way to minimize mercury exposure from dental amalgams.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Dental Materials Science
Background:
- Dental amalgam, a widely used restorative material, is an alloy of silver, tin, and copper.
- Mercury (Hg) vapor release during amalgam setting is a concern due to potential health implications.
- Understanding factors influencing Hg evaporation is crucial for developing safer dental materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of palladium (Pd) addition on mercury evaporation during the setting of experimental Ag-Sn-Cu alloy powders.
- To evaluate how variations in alloy composition, including Pd, Cu, Ag, and Sn content, influence Hg release.
- To compare the Hg evaporation of experimental alloys with commercial dental amalgams.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of four series of experimental Ag-Sn-Cu alloy powders with varying compositions (0-1.5% Pd, 9.0-14.0% Cu, 57.0-63.7% Ag, 24.9-29.5% Sn).
- Measurement of total Hg released from cylindrical specimens (4 x 8mm) at 37°C using a Hg vapor analyzer, starting 10 minutes after trituration.
- Comparison of Hg release data with those from commercial high-Cu and low-Cu dental alloys.
Main Results:
- All experimental amalgams containing 1.5% Pd demonstrated significantly lower Hg vapor release compared to most other tested alloys.
- The low-copper (low-Cu) commercial amalgam showed the lowest Hg release, but Pd-containing alloys approached similar levels.
- Alloy formulation, particularly the addition of Pd, was shown to markedly affect mercury evaporation behavior during amalgam setting.
Conclusions:
- A small addition of palladium (Pd) to Ag-Sn-Cu dental alloys can substantially reduce mercury (Hg) vapor release during setting.
- Pd-containing amalgams exhibited 50-60% less Hg vapor release compared to a leading commercial high-copper amalgam (Tytin).
- Optimizing alloy composition, specifically incorporating Pd, is an effective strategy for minimizing Hg exposure from dental amalgams.