Dental amalgam stabilization by selective interfacial amalgamation

The purpose of this investigation was to explore the feasibility of enhancing the electrochemical stability of dental amalgam restorations by a process of "selective interfacial amalgamation." If dental amalgam restorations can be selectively alloyed at the tooth-amalgam interface, to a minor thickness as compared with the dimensions of the bulk amalgam, so as to present a more electrochemically stable phase than psi2 to the oral environment, corrosion will be reduced and desirable qualities of existing amalgams can be utilized. It was found that selective interfacial amalgamation was indeed possible and that it could be readily accomplished using a silver suspension as a cavity liner. By then placing a conventional silver-tin amalgam according to ordinary dental techniques, mercury expressed during hand condensing reacted with the silver in the liner resulting in the formation of an integral amalgam restoration with the more noble psi1 phase adjacent to tooth structure. In vitro corrosion tests of samples so prepared exhibited corrosion resistance far superior to unlined control samples.