Abstract
The creep behavior of amalgam in Class I cavity was simulated by an axi-symmetric elastic creep finite element method. In this procedure, the stress and time dependencies of the creep strain of amalgam were incorporated. Exponents of stress and time dependencies were postulated as 2.0 and 1.0, respectively. Amalgam with 1.0% of creep value (tested by American Dental Association Specification No. 1) were selected for the material to calculate. Simulation was conducted for the occlusal force of 40, 100, and 150 N, respectively, on the caps of enamel and vertical direction to the axis of the tooth. Results show that creep strain of amalgam in the cavity did not increase linearly with time because the amalgam deformed to become stress-free and creep rate was a function of the stress. It was concluded that elastic deformation of the crown with no filling material in its cavity is an important factor in determining the creep strain and the gap between the cavity and the restorative material.
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