What is dental alloy?

For restoration of missing teeth, dental alloys are often precision-cast. However, wrought forms are also available. Dental amalgam is an alloy that forms in place in a tooth cavity after mixing a mercury-Ag-Sn alloy.

Dental alloys can be used for a wide variety of purposes, including restorations (permanent or temporary), files, instruments, burs, and burs to modify or guide teeth movement. The alloys have many applications, so the environment in which they must work is varied. An example of this is an orthodontic wire that must have high flexibility (low modulus) and be bendable and shaped.