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Type III Gold Alloy Composition — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

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ModerateDental MaterialsType III Gold Alloy CompositionMFDS Part 1

A conventional high-gold Type III (hard) dental casting alloy is selected for a full cast crown. Which value best approximates its proportion of gold by mass?

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Correct answer: CApproximately 75%

Option C is correct. A conventional high-gold Type III casting alloy contains about three-quarters gold by mass. Elemental analysis of such an alloy found 72.4–75.7% gold, with the remainder principally silver, copper and palladium, plus a small amount of zinc. These alloying elements provide the mechanical properties required of a Type III or “hard” casting alloy used for restorations such as full cast crowns. Approximately 65% or 50% would better suggest lower-gold formulations rather than the conventional high-gold alloy specified. Approximately 85% is higher than the representative Type III composition, while 99% would be essentially pure gold and would not represent a conventional hard dental casting alloy.

Reference: Ayad MF, Ayad GM. Corrosion behavior of as-received and previously cast type III gold alloy. Journal of Prosthodontics. 2010;19(3):194–199. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20210863/