Tying

Dental term for the complex chemical solidification of materials consisting of a liquid substance such as dental amalgam.

Setting is the transition from the liquid to the solid state of materials through chemical or physical processes, especially the stiffening and hardening of mixed plasters, dental cements and impression materials. A constant hardening process can be influenced by chemical setting accelerators or retarders, by temperature and/or by the composition of the mixture. During the setting process, the heat released must be taken into account, as this can cause a change in the volume of the oral materials.

Setting expansion" is the behaviour of materials during hardening, i.e. increasing their shape or volume (the opposite of setting contraction). For example, an amalgam filling expands during setting and can therefore lead to cracks in the tooth. Setting contraction is the property of materials in the course of the hardening process to reduce their volume, i.e. to shrink.

Plastic fillings: The occlusal surfaces and surfaces in the area between two teeth (proximal contacts) make high mechanical demands on the plastic fillings. The shrinkage that occurs during the setting process requires a slow procedure to keep the shrinkage of the material as low as possible. A considerable amount of time is required to prepare the tooth for dental treatment by drying and conditioning it and curing it in layers.