Semi-quantitative analysis of early microleakage around amalgam restorations by fluorescent spectrum method: a laboratory study.

Rhodamine B, a fluorescent substance, was used as a tracer to investigate in vitro early microleakage from around amalgam restorations in machinable mica glass-ceramic after thermal stress. Five types of amalgam, i.e., low-copper spherical, low-copper lathe-cut, high-copper admixture, high-copper lathe-cut, and high-copper spherical, were examined in the present study. The results indicated that early microleakage from alloys of lathe-cut particles was lower than that from alloys of spherical particles in both low-copper and high-copper amalgam restorations. A high-copper amalgam with a mixture of lathe-cut and spherical particles tended to exhibit the lowest early microleakage.