I have warned a patient that this particular part of his tooth will break at some point. It finally broke. With the patient being a Chemical/Mechanical/Material Engineer... the fractured tooth was placed under a Scanning Electron Microscope. Interestingly enough, my patient reenforced my everyday discussion that "Amalgam fillings have no true bond to tooth structure."
Based on the information interpreted by the SEM, the fractured piece of enamel showed no bond to the silver filling.
Thanks BM for your insight and photos.
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Alex Nguyen, DDS is a Saratoga Dentist who practices General Dentistry, Cosmetic, and Implant Dentistry. For over 20 years the practice has been serving the residents of Santa Clara County and San Francisco Bay Area.