Shear strength and microleakage of light-cured glass ionomers

Bond to dentin and marginal integrity of three light activated glass ionomer cements were evaluated, and compared to a traditional chemical-cured glass ionomer cement. Results indicated no significant difference in shear bond strength among the glass ionomer cements tested. However, there was a significant difference among glass ionomer cements in bond strength variability, with coefficients of variation ranging from 55 to 102%. A discrepancy between manufacturers' instructions and optimum curing times is one possible explanation for these results. There were also no significant differences in microleakage among glass ionomer cements. Most samples exhibited minimal or no microleakage.