Glass ionomers have been used in dentistry since the early 1970s. In pediatric dentistry, glass ionomers are used as restorative cements, liner/ base materials, and luting cements for stainless steel crowns (SSC). Reported benefits include the chemical bond formed with tooth structure, ability to set in the presence of fluids, biocompatibility, and ability to release fluoride ions. However, glass ionomers exhibit poor retentive strengths and marginal integrity. The efficacy of fluoride release on inhibiting caries remains unproven. Objectives: To determine retentive strengths of SSC cemented with four luting agents. The goal is to find a stronger, more reliable cement for luting SSCs in pediatric dentistry. Methods: 80 pre-fabricated, pre-prepared, identical typodont teeth (primary mandibular right 2nd molar- tooth T) were separated into 4 groups (n=20) and cemented to mandibular right, number 3, 3M Ion brand, Ni-chro primary molar crowns. Cements tested include glass ionomer (Ketac-Cem), reinforced glass ionomer (GC Fuji Plus), resin cement (C&B Cement), and self-etch/self-adhesive resin (MaxCem). Retentive forces were measured using an Instron constant strain-rate universal testing machine. Results: Fracture data are represented by the Weibull distribution, an extreme value distribution that results in both scale (S₀) and shape parameters (M). Conclusions: Ketac-Cem was the weakest material and produced values significantly lower than all other cements (p=.010). It had the highest number of early failures. C&B Cement was the cement of choice due to consistency in failure load strengths and low number of early failures.

Supported in part by the UT Alumni Endowment for Research

Back to the Dental Materials: III - Ceramics and Cements Program
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