Initial acidity of dental cements

The acidity in aqueous solutions following release of acid components from glass ionomer, silicate, zinc phosphate and zinc polycarboxylate cements has been registered by pH measurements. One brand of each type was studied. Initial setting was accomplished at two different temperatures; 23 degrees C and in the interval from 23 degrees C to about 60 degrees C. In the latter case external heat was transferred to the samples by infrared radiation for a period of 2 min. The highest acidity was associated with the silicate specimen, while the lowest acidity was recorded for the zinc polycarboxylate specimen. Exposure to infrared radiation resulted in a reduced acidity for all types of cements. The effect of infrared exposure was most pronounced for the silicate specimens, resulting in a reduction of acid release by a factor of about 10 compared to the nontreated samples. The resistance to acid release was found to be improved by a factor of about 5 for the glass ionomer and about 3 for the zinc phosphate cement treated in a similar way. Clinically, it seems possible considerably to reduce the risk of pulpal injuries associated with the insertion of silicate restorations by using a moderate infrared radiation treatment. Furthermore, the susceptibility of glass ionomer cements to a high initial erosion should be reduced by the use of such a technique. After exposure of the glass ionomer and silicate specimens to infrared radiation at the temperature interval applied, the samples had a more glossy, tooth-like appearance compared to the nonexposed samples, improving the aesthetic properties.