This paper is a five-year review of selected research papers on dental amalgam which were published during the years 1982 through 1986. Papers presented at scientific dental meetings are also included. During the past five years, clarification of amalgam metallurgy has been made, and a few innovative modifications have been recommended. The addition of palladium, indium, and selenium to dental amalgam has been suggested, but commercial applications have yet to be made. The mechanical property of creep has been studied more extensively, while the applicability of fracture toughness tests has been examined. More work has been done on the microleakage of amalgam restorations, with certain alloy factors showing an influence on this problem. Most in vitro investigations on the use of cavity varnish or resin films beneath amalgam restorations show reduced microleakage. Additionally, many electrochemical investigations were conducted. A most significant finding was that amalgam does not appear to break down in vivo as much as in vitro tests would indicate, the buffering action of saliva being protective in this regard. The marginal fracture evaluation of clinical amalgam restorations is still being used as a major clinical performance criterion, and measuring techniques for this failure mode have been improved. Measurements of metallic ion loss from amalgam were made with instruments of high sensitivity, but no evidence has been found to associate this loss with any disease entity. The rare presence of an allergy to mercury appears to be the only contra-indication for the use of amalgam as a dental restoration. Further research on dental amalgam can lead to improved clinical performance of this most useful restorative material.
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