Optimization of the mixing of dental amalgam using coherence time

• Published in: Australian dental journal Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 28 - 33
• Main Authors: Brockhurst, P. J., Culnane, J. T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-02-1987
• Subjects: Chemical Phenomena; Chemistry, Physical; Dental Amalgam; Dental Restoration, Permanent - methods; Dentistry; Surface Properties; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0045-0421; 1834-7819
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1834-7819.1987.tb01269.x

The amount of mixing of dental amalgam is expressed as a multiple of the Darvell Coherence Time tc. Four alloys of different type (Katalloy, Caulk Spherical, Dispersalloy and Tytin) were mixed using a high speed and a low speed amalgamator respectively. The standard test properties were determined for mixing in the range 1–20 tc.
It is shown that amalgam mixing can be usefully expressed as multiples of coherence time, and that mixing for five times coherence time produces near to optimum test properties for the alloys tested.