Transmittance of a bioceramic dental restorative material based on calcium aluminate

This article investigates the transmittance of a new ceramic filling material as a function of time, thickness, wavelength, and addition of pigments. In the hardened state the ceramic material is composed of hydrates, calcium aluminate, and glass fillers. The radiopacity of the investigated material is also measured. The results of the transmittance are compared to a commercial glass ionomer cement (Fuji II) and resin composite (Tetric Ceram). The transmittance increased with time from low values after 1 h to values close to the glass ionomer cements after 1 week. The resin composite had almost twice the transmittance as the calcium aluminate material and the glass ionomer cement. The amount of light passing through the material was dependent on both the sample thickness and the wavelength. Samples of 0.5-mm thickness transmitted almost twice as much as 1-mm-thick samples. Regarding the wavelength, blue light was scattered very effectively (low transmittance), whereas red light was not (high transmittance). Addition of pigments lowered the transmittance. The radiopacity was slightly higher than that of enamel.