Conventional glass-ionomer cement restorative cements

E.S. Gjorgievska, G. van Tendaloo, J.W. Nicholson, N.J. Coleman, I.J. Slipper, S.E. Booth, The incorporation of nano-particles into conventional glass ionomer dental restorative cements, Microsc. Microanal. 21 (2015) 1-15. 

M.F. Costa Cabral, R.L. de Menezes Martinho, M.V. Guedes-Neto, M.A.B. Rebelo, D.G. Pontes, F. Cohen-Cameiro, Do conventional glass ionomer cements release more fluoride than resin-modified glass ionomer cements Restor. Dent. Endod. 40 (2015) 209-215. 

The clinical technique known as Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) has been developed since the mid-1980s in response to dental clinical needs in Third World countries. It is an important application of adhesive dental materials, specifically conventional glass-ionomer cements, and would not be possible without this type of adhesive material (Frencken et al. 2004). ART involves the removal of carious tooth tissue with hand instruments rather than conventional dental drills. These hand-held instruments are formed as spoon-shaped excavators, and come in graded sizes. 

Resin-modified glass-ionomer cements have been used for both Class II and Class III restorations in primary teeth [97,98]. Their lower brittleness compared with conventional glass-ionomers make them appropriate for these applications, though composite resin again appears preferred for these types of cavity in permanent teeth [94], Various clinical studies have shown resin-modified glass-ionomers to perform well in these restorations [99,100], and in addition they have been shown to have useful caries inhibition properties as a result of their fluoride release [101]. 

S. Hiibel, I. Mejare, Conventional versus resin-modified glass-ionomer cement for Class II restorations in primary molars. A 3-year clinical study, Int. J. Paediatr. Dent. 13 (2003) 2-8. 

In this section, the three naturally dental restorative materials will be considered. These are the zinc polycarboxylate cement and the glass-ionomer cements. The latter come in two broad groups, the conventional and the resin-modified glass-ionomers. In all three cases, they are placed as viscous pastes, pressed into place by the dentists to ensure that any surface irregularities are filled, and allowed to cure. They are then finished by shaping them to the structure of the natural tooth with various carving tools. These materials will each be considered in turn. 

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