Glue for my brittle tooth

[MrBones]

Hello all,

Some friends of ours recently gave me this elephant tooth. I'm not sure if it fossilized, probably not. It is very delicate and full of cracks, is there any type of glue I can use to pour into the cracks to make the tooth stronger?

Edited January 7, 2020 by MrBones
Forgot to add photo.

[RuMert]

Paraloid 72 solution in acetone, probably. Low %, 2-10

[MrBones]

10 minutes ago, RuMert said:

Paraloid 72 solution in acetone, probably. Low %, 2-10

Thank you, might be a little hard to find here but I will try looking for it. Any other methods I can try just so that it would tolerate being moved?

[MrBones]

Also I heard you can use PVA (wood glue) dilluted in water, if so, what ratio of pva to water would you suggest?

[Bobby Rico]

Your have to consolidate it but you probably have to brush a solution on to it. If it can’t be handled. My friend’s will be able to give extra advice because both have worked with fragile material. @Ptychodus04 @RJB

[RJB]

  If it were me I would start adding drops of thin super glue.  Just do a little bit at a time so as not to have glue dripping from the bottom.  Super glue, Cianoacrylate, (not sure how to spell that?)  has great wicking powers and its easy to over glue so just take your time and do a little at a time.  Im sure there are other glues to use too. 

 

RB

[Ptychodus04]

9 minutes ago, MrBones said:

Also I heard you can use PVA (wood glue) dilluted in water, if so, what ratio of pva to water would you suggest?

Don't do this. It is horrible to deal with about 15 years down the road.

 

You will want to get some Paraloid B72 as mentioned by @RuMert above. I would start by mixing a solution that is a 50:1 ratio of acetone to Paraloid by weight. using an eye dropper, bath the tooth in this thin solution. Do not touch the tooth before the acetone has completely boiled off as it will make the tooth even more delicate than it currently is. After you have applied the very thin solution several times, mix some solution that is 20 parts acetone to 1 part Paraloid and brush this onto the tooth. Allow this to dry for several days and you should be good to go.

[MrBones]

Just now, RJB said:

  If it were me I would start adding drops of thin super glue.  Just do a little bit at a time so as not to have glue dripping from the bottom.  Super glue, Cianoacrylate, (not sure how to spell that?)  has great wicking powers and its easy to over glue so just take your time and do a little at a time.  Im sure there are other glues to use too. 

 

RB

Thank you, so I will use a little super glue, and when I have the time and resources I will further preserve the tooth with PVA or another material.

[MrBones]

1 minute ago, Ptychodus04 said:

Don't do this. It is horrible to deal with about 15 years down the road.

 

You will want to get some Paraloid B72 as mentioned by @RuMert above. I would start by mixing a solution that is a 50:1 ratio of acetone to Paraloid by weight. using an eye dropper, bath the tooth in this thin solution. Do not touch the tooth before the acetone has completely boiled off as it will make the tooth even more delicate than it currently is. After you have applied the very thin solution several times, mix some solution that is 20 parts acetone to 1 part Paraloid and brush this onto the tooth. Allow this to dry for several days and you should be good to go.

Ok, I will have a look for Paraloid B72, is it ok if I use superglue in the meantime, will this react with the Paraloid?

[RJB]

1 minute ago, MrBones said:

Thank you, so I will use a little super glue, and when I have the time and resources I will further preserve the tooth with PVA or another material.

I was saying that there are other glues you can use but I like super glue cause its so dang durable once cured.  I would do the intire tooth but just a little at a time.  I also would very quickly wipe off any excess if that happens.  and be careful, super glue can easily get onto your fingers and hands.  Not dangerous but takes awhile to wear off.   But,,,, again, there are other glues that can handle this job and may be easier to use.  I like super glue.

 

RB

[Bobby Rico]

4 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

Don't do this. It is horrible to deal with about 15 years down the road.

Also PVA I know this from been an artist can reattach to atmospheric conditions and become sticky even after it has dried. 

[Ptychodus04]

17 minutes ago, MrBones said:

Ok, I will have a look for Paraloid B72, is it ok if I use superglue in the meantime, will this react with the Paraloid?

 

15 minutes ago, RJB said:

I was saying that there are other glues you can use but I like super glue cause its so dang durable once cured.  I would do the intire tooth but just a little at a time.  I also would very quickly wipe off any excess if that happens.  and be careful, super glue can easily get onto your fingers and hands.  Not dangerous but takes awhile to wear off.   But,,,, again, there are other glues that can handle this job and may be easier to use.  I like super glue.

 

RB

 

You can use Paraloid B72, Butvar B76 or PVA B15 all in exactly the same way, whichever is easiest to procure. I would stay away from cyanoacrylate or any glue if possible. Glues that use a chemical reaction to set at some point begin to cross-link and experience shrinkage of some kind. Both of these are detrimental to the specimen. The plastics I mentioned are simply dissolved in a solvent and deposited in their native state when the solvent boils away. There is no chemical reaction, therefore there's no chance of cross-linking or shrinkage.

 

If you can't get the conservation grade plastics mentioned (I would definitely recommend this if at all possible) you can dilute elmer's school glue in water and apply. This is the next best thing but it still has disadvantages. Any dried/degraded dentin is very aquaphilic and will absorb as much water as possible causing it to swell and possibly crumble. School glue is a PVA suspension which is solids suspended in water rather than a solution (solids dissolved). They tend to become problematic down the road. And as @Bobby Rico mentioned may be problematic in humid conditions.

[MrBones]

23 minutes ago, Ptychodus04 said:

 

 

You can use Paraloid B72, Butvar B76 or PVA B15 all in exactly the same way, whichever is easiest to procure. I would stay away from cyanoacrylate or any glue if possible. Glues that use a chemical reaction to set at some point begin to cross-link and experience shrinkage of some kind. Both of these are detrimental to the specimen. The plastics I mentioned are simply dissolved in a solvent and deposited in their native state when the solvent boils away. There is no chemical reaction, therefore there's no chance of cross-linking or shrinkage.

 

If you can't get the conservation grade plastics mentioned (I would definitely recommend this if at all possible) you can dilute elmer's school glue in water and apply. This is the next best thing but it still has disadvantages. Any dried/degraded dentin is very aquaphilic and will absorb as much water as possible causing it to swell and possibly crumble. School glue is a PVA suspension which is solids suspended in water rather than a solution (solids dissolved). They tend to become problematic down the road. And as @Bobby Rico mentioned may be problematic in humid conditions.

Ok, I will look for the ones you recommend. I'm afraid I will have to use super glue, but only in thin layers and in very small amounts at a time, just to hold the flakes in place and glue back one or two pieces that fell off.

[Harry Pristis]

I might gently slide the tooth onto a flattened beer flat, then apply the acetone/plastic consolidant to the tooth with my turkey baster.

 

Never apply water (or water-based solution) to a thoroughly dry mammal fossil. In particular, don't do it to an elephant/mammoth tooth!!!  The cementum will swell and the enamel plates with come apart.

[RJB]

7 hours ago, RJB said:

I was saying that there are other glues you can use but I like super glue cause its so dang durable once cured.  I would do the intire tooth but just a little at a time.  I also would very quickly wipe off any excess if that happens.  and be careful, super glue can easily get onto your fingers and hands.  Not dangerous but takes awhile to wear off.   But,,,, again, there are other glues that can handle this job and may be easier to use.  I like super glue.

  Or not. 

 

RB