Temperature in the Pulp Chamber During Polishing of Amalgam Restorations

¹ Laboratory of Dental Materials, Department of Oral Diagnosis and Oral Medicine, and Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, Ein Karem, Jerusalem, Israel

Temperature changes in the pulp chamber were determined by means of thermocouples during polishing procedures of Class V amalgam restorations. The dependence of the temperature elevation on the separation between cavity floor and thermocouple junction was determined. Temperatures obtained with rubber cups were higher than those with cup brushes. Intermittent polishing caused less heating, by about 30%, than continuous procedures. Cavity bases and liners, applied at a thickness of 0.2 to 0.3 mm, had little influence on the temperatures in the pulp chamber.