Availability of fluoride from glass-ionomer luting cements in human saliva

Fluoride availability from two glass-ionomer luting agents, Ketac-Cement and Aqua-Cement, was monitored after a 1-h treatment in distilled water at pH 7. The recorded results were then compared to the ones obtained from those same cements, after 1 h, in saliva, in water pretreated with saliva (pH 7 and 4.5), and in albumen and phosphate buffer solutions (pH 7). The Mann-Whitney two-sample rank test was utilized in order to identify the differences. The presence of proteins and phosphate reduced fluoride availability. A reduction in the pH from 7 to 4.5 resulted in an increased rate of fluoride release, in water, from glass-ionomers pretreated with saliva. The present study indicates that fluoride availability from glass-ionomers, in vivo, is pH controlled. The rate controlling factors appear to be phosphate and proteins.