Page 151 - My FlipBook

FILLING TEETH 135
the same consistency as the copper amalgam. Equal
parts of each amalgam are then rubbed together, first
in a mortar, and afterwards in the hand, the surplus
mercury being squeezed out in the usual way. It
is impossible to obtain perfectly even results, owing
to the different amount of mercury that various
batches of the same make of copper amalgam con-
tain, and also because the mixing of the alloy to the
same consistency as the copper amalgam can be only
approximately determined ; further, the best alloy
for forming the mixture has not yet been ascer-
tained. It may be mentioned, however, that some
alloy amalgams mix much more kindly with the
copper amalgam than others, and there is also a
wide difference in the setting properties, according
to the alloy that is used. The writer is convinced
there are great possibilities in this mixture, and
that a full investigation would prove most useful.
The conclusion the writer arrives at is that it is an
eminently tooth-saving amalgam, and for this reason

it is a more durable material or filling than the
majority of alloy amalgams. It turns perfectly
black on the surface.
The Matrix.—There is a difference of opinion as
to the value of a matrix in filling certain cavities.
Many operators make frequent use of this appliance
in mesial and distal cavities in bicuspids and molars.