The amalgam is a material made of metal used in dentistry for the repair or restoration of a tooth fragment, generally used in caries. Amalgam is the fusion of a metal called mercury, with other metals that can be silver, nickel or tin, for this reason the coverage is silver in color and in the most daring patients gold amalgam can be placed; The main function of the covered is to hinder or plug the openings that appear in the crown of the teeth due to cavities, thus allowing the tooth not to lose its crushing capacity in food.
Although the amalgam is adhered to the surface area of the tooth, it cannot be glued directly, a type of glue must be implanted in the tooth lesion in order to strengthen the union between the dental layer and the obturator, the main advantage over the application of amalgam is its ability to remain in the tooth for a delayed time, and this we must add that its cost is lower compared to other therapeutic techniques, in the same way the use of amalgam also has a disadvantage, the main one of all is its gray color which gives little aesthetics to the patient's face since the teeth are darkIn addition to this, we can mention the extraction of dental material that must be carried out in order to apply the metallic covering, leaving the tooth more hollow.
Another disadvantage that cannot be ignored is the polluting impact produced by the use of this material, remembering that the metallic covering is made from mercury, therefore, it can generate different post-exposure pathologies to the patient, the treating dentist and turn to the environment.
Amalgam has a preparation process in the following way: mercury is mixed in liquid state with other metals, thus achieving a pasty consistency which is applied by means of pressure in the hole inside the tooth, posterior Upon application, the excess mercury is removed by the dentist, and progressively the amalgam will harden over the first hour.
