[Crack path in dental amalgams]

The need of amalgam to resist fracture becomes a more evident necessity when restoration margins are taken into consideration. Marginal microcracks permit bacteria to pass beneath the restoration resulting in cement base dessalution, secondary caries and pulp inflammation. Fracture toughness of amalgam is usually studied indirectly from the maximum force required to fracture the amalgam, during compressive, tensile or bend stresses, through its ability to deform plastically or its surface hardness. Important information on fracture toughness of amalgams can be also taken from metallographic studies of their microstructures, during or after the formation of a crack. This study was planned to evaluate the microcracks produced on the surface of different amalgams, with a Vickers pyramid head of a hardness tester and their relation to the different phases of the amalgam structure. Seven amalgams were studied: Amalcap-F, Tytin, Cupralloy, Ana-2000 and three experimental combinations of them, in order to have in the same amalgam different alloy particles, for evaluation purposes. The result showed that the structure elements, that mainly assist crack formation and propagation, are voids and gamma 2-phase, while elements that resist fracture are alloy particles (gamma-phase) in conventional amalgams, eutectic spheres in admixed high copper amalgams and eta'-phase crystals in single melt high copper amalgams.