Clinical performance of a gold-containing amalgam

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Clinical Dentistry
• Corrosion Science

Background:

• Dental amalgams are widely used restorative materials.
• Traditional amalgams often contain gamma 2 phases, which can impact durability.
• Gold-containing amalgams are developed to potentially improve properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinical performance of a novel gold-containing amalgam against conventional amalgams.
• To evaluate the marginal fracture resistance of the gold-containing amalgam.
• To investigate the long-term behavior and corrosion of the gold-containing amalgam.

Main Methods:

• Clinical performance assessment focusing on marginal fracture.
• Comparative analysis against five gamma 2-containing and one non-gamma 2 amalgam.
• Microprobe evaluation of a five-year-old clinical restoration.

Main Results:

• The gold-containing amalgam demonstrated inferior clinical performance compared to the non-gamma 2 amalgam.
• Four out of five gamma 2-containing amalgams outperformed the gold-containing amalgam in marginal fracture resistance.
• Microprobe analysis revealed an atypical corrosion pattern on the aged clinical restoration.

Conclusions:

• The evaluated gold-containing amalgam does not offer superior clinical performance over several conventional dental amalgams.
• The observed corrosion pattern warrants further investigation into the material's long-term stability.
• Non-gamma 2 and some gamma 2 amalgams represent more reliable restorative options based on this study.