NEET MDS Lessons
Dental Materials
Dental Porcelain and PFM Porcelains
Applications/Use
a. Porcelain inlays and jacket crowns
b. PFM crowns and bridges
c. Denture teeth
Terms
PFM-porcelain fused to metal
Fusing-adherence of porcelain particles into a single porcelain mass
Classification
Dental porcelain is manufactured as a powder. When it is heated to a very high temperature in a special oven, it fuses into a homogeneous mass. The heating process is called baking. Upon cooling, the mass is hard and dense. The material is made in a variety of shades to closely match most tooth colors. Baked porcelain has a translucency similar to that of dental enamel, so that porcelain crowns, pontics, and inlays of highly pleasing appearance can be made. Ingredients of porcelain include feldspar, kaolin, silica in the form of quartz, materials which act as fluxes to lower the fusion point, metallic oxide, and binders. Porcelains are classified into high-, medium-, and low-fusing groups, depending upon the temperature at which fusion takes place.
High-Fusing Porcelains. High-fusing porcelains fuse at 2,400o Fahrenheit or over. They are used for the fabrication of full porcelain crowns (jacket crowns).
Medium-Fusing Porcelains. Medium-fusing porcelains fuse between 2,000o and 2,400o Fahrenheit. They are used in the fabrication of inlays, crowns, facings, and pontics. A pontic is the portion of a fixed partial denture, which replaces a missing tooth.
Low-Fusing Porcelains. Low-fusing porcelains fuse between 1,600o and 2,000o Fahrenheit. They are used primarily to correct or modify the contours of previously baked high- or medium-fusing porcelain restorations. Eg for PFM restorations
Structure
Components
a. Large number of oxides but principally silicon oxide, aluminum oxide. and potassium oxide
b. Oxides are supplied by mixing clay, feldspar, and quartz.
Manipulation
Porcelain powders mixed with water and compacted into position for firing
Shrinkage is 30% on firing because of fusing and so must be made oversized and built up by several firing steps
Properties
1. Physical
a. Excellent electrical and thermal insulation
b. Low coefficient of thermal expansion and contraction
c. Good color and translucency; excellent aesthetics
2. Chemical
a. Not resistant to acids (and can be dissolved by contact with APF topical fluoride treatments)
b. Can be acid-etched with phosphoric acid or hydrofluoric acid for providing microll1echanical retention for cements
3. Mechanical
a. Harder than tooth structure and ,will cause opponent wear
b. Can be polished with aluminum oxide pastes
Denture Liners
Use - patients with soft tissue irritation
Types
Long-term liners (soft liners)-used over a period of months for patients with severe undercuts or continually sore residual ridges
Short-term liners (tissue conditioners)-used to facilitate tissue healing over several days
Structure
Soft liners-plasticized acrylic copolymers or silicone rubber
Tissue conditioners-PEMA plasticized with ethanol and aromatic esters
Properties
Liners flow under low pressure, allowing adaptation to soft tissues, but are elastic during chewing forces.
Low initial hardness, but liner becomes harder as plasticizers are leached out during intraoral use
Some silicone rubber liners support growth of yeasts
Physical reaction-cooling causes reversible hardening
Chemical reaction-irreversible reaction during setting
Reaction
a. Calcium sulfate hemihydrate(one-half water) crystals dissolve and react with water
b. Calcium sulfate dihydrate(two waters) form and precipitate new crystals
c. Unreacted (excess) water is left between crystals in solid
Investment Techniques
Single step investing technique:
The investing procedure is carried out in one step either by brush technique or by vacuum technique.
a). Brush technique:
The accurate water-powder ratio is mixed under vacuum. A brush is then used to paint the wax pattern with mix then the casting ring is applied over the crucible former and the ring is filled under vibration until it is completely filled.
b). vacuum technique:
• The mix in first hand spatulated, and then with the crucible former and pattern is place, then ring is attached to the mixing bowl.
• The vacuum hose is then attached to the assembly. The bowel is inverted and the ring is filled under vacuum and vibration
Two-step investing technique:
The investing procedure is carried out in two steps:
• First, the wax pattern is painted with a thick mix andis left till complete setting, the set investment block(first cost) is immersed in water for about tenminutes . the casting ring is then applied over the crucible former and filled with the properly mixedinvestment (second coat) till the ring is completely filled and the mix is left to set.The two-step investing technique is recommendedwhenever greater amount of expansion is required. Thistechnique also minimizes the distortion of the waxpattern and provides castings with smoother surfaces.
• The investment is allowed to set for the recommendedtime (usually one-hour) then the crucible former is removed. If a metal sprue former is used, it is removedby heating over a flame to loosen it from the wax pattern. Any loose particles of investment should beblown off with compressed air should be placed in a humidor if stored overnight.
ACID ETCH TECHNIQUE
Cavities requiring added retention (to hold firmly) are treated with an acid etching technique. This technique improves the seal of the composite resin to the cavity wall. The enamel adjacent to the margins of the preparation is slightly decalcified with a 40 to 50 percent phosphoric acid solution. This etched enamel enhances the mechanical retention of the composite resin. In addition, the acid etch technique is used to splint unstable teeth to adjacent teeth. The acid is left on the cut tooth structure only 15 seconds, in accordance with the directions for one common commercial brand. The area is then flushed with water for a minimum of 30 seconds to remove the decalcified material. Etched tooth structure will have a chalky appearance.
Waxes
Many different waxes are used in dentistry. The composition, form, and color of each wax are designed to facilitate its use and to produce the best possible results.
Applications
o Making impressions
o Registering of tooth or soft tissue positions
o Creating restorative patterns for lab fabrication
o Aiding in laboratory procedures
Classification
a. Pattern waxes-inlay, casting, and baseplate waxes
b. Impression waxes-corrective and biteplate waxes
c. Processing waxes-boxing, utility, and sticky waxes
Types
1) Inlay wax-used to create a pattern for inlay, onlay or crown for subsequent investing and casting in a metal alloy.
2) Casting wax-used to create a pattern for metallic framework for a removable partial denture
3) Baseplate wax-used to establish the vertical dimension. plane of occlusion. and initial arch form of a complete denture
4) Corrective impression wax-used to form a registry pattern of soft tissues on an impression
5) Bite registration wax-used to form a registry pattern for the occlusion of opposing models or casts
6) Boxing wax-used to form a box around an impression before pouring a model or cast
7) Utility wax -soft pliable adhesive wax for modifying appliances, such as alginate impression trays
8) Sticky wax-sticky when melted and used to temporarily adhere pieces of metal or resin in laboratory procedures
Components
a. Base waxes-hydrocarbon (paraffin) ester waxes
b. Modifier waxes-carnauba, ceresin, bees wax, rosin, gum dammar, or microcrystalline waxes
c. Additives-colorants
Reaction-waxes are thermoplastic
Properties
Physical
a. High coefficients of thermal expansion and contraction
b. Insulators and so, cool unevenly; should be waxed in increments to allow heat dissipation
Chemical
a. Degrade prematurely if overheated
b. Designed to degrade into CO2and H2Oduring burnout
Mechanical-stiffness, hardness, and strength depend on modifier waxes used