GOLD, ITS ALLOYS AND THEIR USES IN DENTISTRY

The historical and contemporary role of gold as a restorative material in dentistry is reviewed. The fabrication of fixed restorations by pr ecision casting is described. The various applications and the resulti ng medical and technical requirements are discussed. Different gold al loy types are presented and described with reference to their composit ion, mechanical and physical properties, corrosion resistance and bioc ompatibility. Techniques new to dentistry such as powder metallurgy, e lectroforming and the use of pure gold direct filling are also discuss ed.