Loss of sound tooth structure when replacing amalgam restorations by adhesive inlays

The replacement of amalgam restorations by adhesive inlays requires an adjustment to the cavity form. This often necessitates the removal of sound tooth substance. Undercuts may be blocked out by a base, but an extensive use of glass ionomer for this purpose is not recommended due to the weak mechanical properties of this material. The present study estimated the amount of sound tissue removed when a given amalgam preparation was reshaped for an adhesive inlay without the use of a base. An MOD amalgam preparation was created in an acrylic tooth. Twenty copies were distributed among 20 operators, who were requested to transform the preparation into an adhesive inlay preparation, removing as little material as possible. One control preparation with parallel walls was produced. All teeth were weighed before and after the alteration. The preparations' volumes were calculated: original amalgam preparation 0.130 ml, parallel preparation 0.136 ml. The minimum removal necessary was therefore 0.006 ml. The amount removed by the operators varied, with a mean volume of 0.0138 +/- 0.004 ml. Statistical analysis showed that for the given preparation, significantly more material was removed than necessary for undercut elimination. On average, more than twice the minimal volume of material was lost. This loss can be minimized by developing alternative techniques for undercut elimination.