Abstract:
Amalgam and resin composite are two commonly used restorations in dental practice. Nowadays
replacing the silver colored dental amalgam with the tooth colored composite has become a
routine procedure. Amalgam ages in the oral environment leaving corrosive products that
infiltrates into tooth structure and might interfere with bonding of resin composite to tooth on
replacing amalgam with composite. In this study 40 molars were selected, cavities were made in
each molar and filled with amalgam. Teeth were stored in distilled water for one year. After
storage teeth were divided into two main groups; group A; where amalgam was removed without
any further increase in cavity depth. Group B; where amalgam was totally removed followed by
further increase in cavity depth by 0.5 mm. Each group was sub divided into 2 groups according
to the adhesive system used in re-filling the cavities where sub group 1; cavities re-filled using
self-etch adhesive and resin composite. Group 2 cavities re-filled with etch and rinse adhesive
and resin composite ·Teeth examination: slicing of teeth was done, slices were examined using
scanning electron microscope coupled with EDAX. The results of this study demonstrated that
amalgam corrosive products interfered with bonding and that removal of 0.5 mm showed no
corrosive remnants and allowed better adhesion for both adhesive systems used.
