NEET MDS Lessons
Dental Materials
CASTING: casting is the process by which the wax pattern of a restoration is converted to a replicate in a dental alloy. The casting process is used to make dental restorations such as inlays, onlays, crowns, bridges and removable partial dentures.
Objectives of casting
1) To heat the alloy as quickly as possible to a completely molten condition.
2) To prevent oxidation by heating the metal with awell adjusted torch .
3) To produce a casting with sharp details by having adequate pressure to the well melted metal to force into the mold.
STEPS IN MAKING A CAST RESTORATION
1. TOOTH PREPARATION
2. IMPRESSION
3. DIE PREPARATION
4. WAX PATTERN FABRICATION
5. SPRUING
Solution Liners (Varnishes)
Applications
o Enamel and dentin lining for amalgam restorations
o Enamel and dentin lining for cast restorations that are used with non adhesive cements
o Coating over materials that are moisture sensitive during setting
Components of copal resin varnish
o 90% solvent mixture (e.g., chloroform, acetone, and alcohol)
o 10% dissolved copal resin
Reaction
Varnish sets physically by drying Solvent loss occurs in 5 to 15 seconds (a film forms the same way as drying fingernail polish)
Manipulation
Apply thin coat over dentin. enamel. And margins of the cavity preparation Dry lightly with air for 5 seconds Apply a second thin coat Final thickness is 1 to 5 µ.m
Properties
o Physical
Electrically insulating barrier that prevents shocks. Too thin to be thermally insulating. Decreases degree of percolation attributable to thermal expansion
o Chemical
Forms temporary barrier that prevents microleakage into dentinal tubules until secondary dentin formation occurs. Decreases initial tendency for electrochemical corrosion
o Mechanical
Very weak and brittle film that has limited lifetime
Film adheres to smear layer
Cement Bases
Applications
• Thermal insulation below a restoration
• Mechanical protection where there is inadequate dentin to support amalgam condensation pressures
Types
• Zinc phosphate cement bases
• Polycarboxylate cement bases
• Glass ionomer cement bases (self-curing and light-curing)
Components
o Reactive powder (chemically basic)
o Reactive liquid (chemically acidic)
Reaction
o Acid-base reaction that forms salts or cross linked matrix
o Reaction may be exothermic
Manipulation-consistency for basing includes more powders, which improves all of the cement properties
Properties
Physical-excellent thermal and electrical insulation
Chemical-much more resistant to dissolution than cement liners
Polycarboxylate and glass ionomer cements are mechanically and chemically adhesive to tooth structure
Solubility of all cement bases is lower than cement liners if they are mixed at higher powder- to-liquid ratios
Mechanical- much higher compressive strengths (12,000 to 30,000 psi)
Light-cured hybrid glass ionomer cements are the strongest
Zinc oxide-eugenol cements are the weakest
Biologic (see section on luting cements for details)
Zinc oxide-eugenol cements are obtundent to the pulp
Polycarboxylate and glass ionomer cements are kind to the pulp
Denture Cleansers
Use - for removal of soft debris by light brushing and then rinsing of denture; hard deposits require professional repolishing
a. Alkaline perborates-do not remove bad stains; may harm liners .
b. Alkaline peroxides-harmful to denture liners
c. Alkaline hypochlorites-may cause bleaching, corrode base-metal alloys, and leave residual taste on appliance
d. Dilute acids-may corrode base-metal alloys
e. Abrasive powders and creams-can abrade denture surfaces
Denture cleaning Method
a. Full dentures without soft liners-immerse denture in solution of one part 5% sodium hypochlorite in three parts of water
b. Full or partial dentures without soft-liners immerse denture in solution of 1 teaspoon of hypochlorite with 2 teaspoons of glassy phosphate in a half of a glass of water
c. Lined dentures -- clean any soft liner with a cotton swab and cold water while cleaning the denture with a soft brush
Properties
1. Chemical-can swell plastic surfaces or corrode metal frameworks
2. Mechanical-can scratch the surfaces of denture bases or denture teeth
METALLURGICAL TERMS
a. Cold Working. This is the process of changing the shape of a metal by rolling, pounding, bending, or twisting at normal room temperature.
b. Strain Hardening. This occurs when a metal becomes stiffer and harder because of continued or repeated application of a load or force. At this point, no further slippage of the atoms of the metal can occur without fracture.
c. Heat Softening Treatment (Annealing). This treatment is necessary in order to continue manipulating a metal after strain hardening to prevent it from fracturing. The process of annealing consists of heating the metal to the proper temperature (as indicated by the manufacturer's instructions) and cooling it rapidly by immersing in cold water. Annealing relieves stresses and strains caused by cold working and restores slipped atoms within the metal to their regular arrangement.
d. Heat Hardening Treatment (Tempering). This treatment is necessary to restore to metals properties that are decreased by annealing and cold working. Metals to be heat hardened should first be heat softened (annealed) so that all strain hardening is relieved and the hardening process can be properly controlled. Heat hardening is accomplished in dental gold alloy by heating to 840o Fahrenheit, allowing it to cool slowly over a 15-minute period to 480o Fahrenheit, and then immersing it in water.
Stages of manipulation
Definitions of intervals
- Mixing interval-length of time of the mixing stage.
- Working interval-length of time of the working stage
- Setting interval-length of time of the setting stage
Definitions of times
- Mixing time-the elapsed time from the onset to the completion of mixing
- Working time-the elapsed time from the onset of mixing until the onset of the initial setting time
- Initial setting time-time at which sufficient reaction has occurred to cause the materials to be resistant to further manipulation
- Final setting time-time at which the material practically is set as defined by its resistance to indentation
[All water-based materials lose their gloss at the time of setting]
Investment Materials
Investment is mold-making material
Applications
a. Mold-making materials for casting alloys
b. Mold-making materials for denture production
Classification
a. Gypsum-bonded investments (based on gypsum products for matrix)
b. Phosphate-bonded investments
c. Silicate-bonded investments
Components
a. Liquid-water or other reactant starts formation of matrix binder by reacting with reactant powder
b. Powder-reactant powder, filler, or modifiers
Manipulation
a. P/L mixed and placed in container around wax pattern
b. After setting, the investment is heated to eliminate the wax pattern in preparation for casting
INVESTING
Mixing investment with distilled water is done according to the manufacturers ratio in a clean dry bowl without entrapment of the air into the mix.
Mixing methods:
a. Hand mixing and the use of the vibrator to remove air bubbles.
b. Vacuum mixing- This is the better method because it removes air bubbles as well as gases that are produced and thus produces a smoother mix.
Methods of investing:
a. Hand investing
b. Vacuum investing
Hand investing:
First the mixed investment is applied on all the surfaces of the pattern with a soft brush. Blow off any excess investment gently, thus leaving a thin film of investment over the pattern, then apply again.
Then the coated pattern can be invested by two methods;
1. Placing the pattern in the ring first and then filling the ring full with investment.
2. Filling the ring with the investment first and then force the pattern through into it.
Vacuum investing :
Vacuum investing unit: This consists of the chamber of small cubic capacity from which air can be evacuated quickly and in which casting ring can be placed.
Evacuation of air can be done by electrically or water driven vacuum pump.
Procedure:
The ring filled with investment is placed in the vacuum chamber. Air entry tube is closed. Then the vacuum is applied. The investment will rise with froth vigorously for about 10-15 sec and then settles back. This indicates that air has been extracted from the ring. The pressure is now restored to atmospheric by opening the air entry tap gradually at first and then more rapidly as the investment settles back around the pattern. Then the ring is removed from the chamber and the investment is allowed to set. Modern investing unit does both mixing and investing under vacuum and is considered better than hand mixing and pouring.
Then there are two alternatives to be followed depending upon what type of expansion is to be achieved in order to compensate for metal shrinkage. They are:
1. If hygroscopic expansion of the investment is to be achieved then immediately immerse the filled ring in water at the temperature of 37C.
Or “under controlled water adding technique”. A soft flexible rubber ring is used instead of usual lined metal ring. Pattern is invested as usual. Then specified amount of water is added on top of the investment in the rubber ring and the investment is allowed to set at room temperature. In this way only enough water is added to the investment to provide the desired expansion.
2. If thermal expansion of the investment is to be achieved, then investment is allowed to set by placing the ring on the bench for 1 hour or as recommended by the manufacturer.