Dental restoration enables the tooth to sustain its functions and form. Restorative materials like composite filling and amalgam are being used to repair caries or tooth wear, but these have some disadvantageous properties. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark are now working on new materials made of glass ionomer cement as an alternative tooth filling.

Glass ionomer cement (GIC) is a dentistry material introduced in 1972. Unlike other compounds, GIC attaches to the tooth without the need for a bonding agent. It also releases fluoride, which helps fight dental caries. Ana Benetti, dentist and researcher at the Odontological Institute at the University of Copenhagen, said that the particular research intends to study the properties of GIC further to develop dental materials that are durable, mercury-free and comfortable for patients.

Two kinds of cement mixtures were observed; the difference lies in the solvent used to mix glass ionomer cement. One mixture was dissolved in plain water, while the other is GIC dissolved in liquid containing acid solution. The mixtures were tested on actual teeth models, which were later observed using X-rays and neutron experiments. The researchers were able to determine whether or not adding acid earlier to water before mixing it with GIC makes the filling less porous and stronger.

After observing the X-rays and neutron images, the researchers found that mixing GIC powder with the water that has acid previously added to it was the strongest material. On the other hand, adding water to the cement with acid was the weakest. Heloisa Bordallo, associate professor and researcher at the UC Niels Bohr Institute, explains that glass ionomer cement is porous. Although cement fillings tend to be porous, liquid should be prevented from penetrating these pores because this cause breakage in the filling. Adding acid to the water beforehand hastens and strengthens the liquid bond to the cement.

The X-ray and neutron experiments were conducted at Helmholtz-Zentrum in Berlin and other research facilities in England and France. Further research is ongoing to experiment with other mixtures and to figure out how to lessen the presence of loose liquids in the pores. Using GIC-based dental materials for oral health programmes in far-flung communities would be helpful because the cement paste can be easily prepared without the use of a particular tool. It also hardens without the use of a dental curing light unlike composite materials.

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