[The utilization of glass ionomer sealing cements]

In order to fix the reconstructive work, a luting cement is used. The main task of this cement is to retain the restoration on the tooth and to fill and seal the gap between them. The first glass ionomer luting cement came on the market in 1978. In the beginning, the cement did not perform as expected: high solubility, high viscosity and hypersensitivity, even followed by pulp death, were reported. The glass ionomer luting cement compares now favourably with the traditional non-adhesive cements. Nevertheless, the zinc phosphate cement is still the most commonly used cementing agent in the dental private practice. Studies have shown that the problems of hypersensitivity after the use of glass ionomer luting cements are more dentist related than material related. This article explains how to use the glass ionomer luting cements in order to achieve a successful cementation.