Creep as a mechanism for sealing amalgams.

Dental amalgam seals itself over time. The reduction of microleakage in amalgam restorations has been explained by corrosion products filling in the interface gap between amalgam and tooth structure in order to seal the restoration interface. This concept has been widely accepted; yet, curiously, there is little research supporting this theory. The creep mechanism may be a plausible alternative to explaining why microleakage is reduced over time in amalgam restorations. Amalgam restorations are confined to the fixed space of the cavity preparation; expansion of the amalgam through internal phase changes in this confined area must be relieved. The resultant creep-expansion of the amalgam restoration fills in the tooth/amalgam interface gap. Once the interfacial gap is filled and amalgam has made intimate contact with the cavity wall, the dental amalgam slides along the tooth preparation plane as predicted by classic metallurgical studies. The results of the creep of amalgam have been observed clinically as the extrusion of amalgam from the cavity preparation. This explanation for amalgam sealing the tooth/amalgam gap fits many clinical observations and certain research data.