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AMALGAM AND GOLD. 355

being less liable to be broken away from the walls of the cavity by the
force of mastication, as spoken of elsewhere.
Large amalgam fillings, when it is not necessary to have gold added
on account of color, will be greatly improved if a channel is made with
a small fissure bur between the amalgam and the enamel, and this care-
fully filled with gold (Fig. 337).

Fig. 336. Fig. 337. Fig. 338.

Occluso-approximal cavity Amalgam and cement com- Gold and amalgam com-
partly filled with amal- bination with channel cut bination in incisor: a,
gam ready for completion in occlusal margin for re- amalgam ; b, gold.
with gold: a, a, amal- ception of gold : a, amal-
gam b, cement lining. gam b, gold ; c, channel
; ;
burred out ready for gold,
shows also cement lining.
All amalgam fillings when gold is intended to be added, should be
put in with soft cement, Avhenever possible, as described for " Cement
and Amalgam " fillings. This will prevent much of the discoloration
from the amalgam, as well as strengthen the teeth. Many front teeth
can be saved and made to look well by filling with cement and amal-
gam, as before described, and, after the amalgam becomes hard, cutting
away that portion which is in sight, and filling with gold (Fig. 338).
B. Amalgam and gold fillings, the gold being added while the
anaalgam is soft. These fillings will be indicated, usually, in com-
pound cavities of the molars, and in the occluso-distal and sometimes-
even the mesial surfaces of the bicuspids. The amalgam will occupy
not more than one-quarter or one-third of the approximal portion of
the cavity, but sometimes in distal cavities of molars it may be good
judgment to have as much as three-fourths of that portion of the fill-
ing, amalgam.
No operation requires greater attention to detail, or more neatness
of execution, than where gold is used in conjunction with soft amalgam.
If chips of the unset amalgam are left around the matrix, or in the folds
of the rubber, or in any place where they may be caught up on the disk
or finishing strip and rubbed over the surface of the gold while the
filling is being finished, they will give it a coating of mercury and injure
the appearance of the work. On the other hand, if the method given is
followed carefully, no detail left out of account, no slovenly manipula-
tion allowed to pass for neatness and tact in handling the materials, the