Repair strength of dental amalgams

This study tested the hypothesis that newly triturated amalgam condensed vertically on old amalgam was essential for establishing a bond between the new and old amalgams. Twelve rectangular bars were prepared with Dispersalloy and Tytin to establish their baseline flexure strength values. An additional 12 specimens were made and separated into 24 equal halves. All fracture surfaces were abraded with a flat end fissure bur. Twelve surfaces were paired with the original amalgam, and the remaining 12 surfaces were repaired with a different amalgam. At first, freshly triturated amalgam was condensed vertically on the floor of the specimen mold (Group A). The majority of specimens repaired with Group A failed to establish bond at the repair interface. All repair surfaces were abraded again and prepared by a second method. A metal spacer was used to create a four-wall cavity to facilitate vertical condensation directly on the repair surface (Group B). The specimens were stored in ambient air for seven days prior to flexure testing. The strength of specimens repaired with Group B ranged from 26% to 54% of the baseline specimens. ANOVA showed that amalgams repaired with a different amalgam yielded higher strength values than those repaired with the original amalgam, and the baseline specimens exhibited significantly higher strength values than all the repaired specimens.