Volumetric dimensional changes of luting cements

Abstract

The luting agent is a crucial factor in the outcome of cemented fixed restorations. A new water-based cement, Ceramir C&B (CM), approved to be marketed in the US, is composed of calcium aluminate and glass ionomer. CM is a luting agent indicated for permanent cementation of cast restorations, all-zirconia or all-alumina crowns, and prefabricated metal and cast dowel and cores. The manufacturer claims that the cement has demonstrated favorable biocompatibility properties when tested in vitro and in vivo and has proven to be bioactive.

The objective of this study was to evaluate volumetric dimensional changes and the amount of Ca2+ released by the new luting agent. Twenty specimens of each material, namely calcium aluminate glass ionomer, resin-modified glass ionomer, and two resin luting agents, were fabricated and weighed. The 20 specimens for all materials were divided into four groups (five samples in each group) based on storage conditions: silicone oil at 22°C and 37°C and distilled water at 22°C and 37°C. Using the manufacturers’ instructions for each material, cylindrical specimens were prepared with dimensions of 7 +0.1 mm in diameter and 2 +0.1 mm in height. A 0.01-mg resolution balance was used to determine volumetric dimensional change using an Archimedean equation. Measurements were made 30 minutes after mixing, and at the time intervals of 7 days, 14 days, 21 days, and 30 days, and after total dehydration of the specimen. Chemical analyses of the solutions were performed using atomic absorption spectroscopy to determine the Ca+2 ion concentration. Moreover, the pH values were measured to determine the OH–concentration in the solutions.

The results showed that CM had the most expansion among the tested luting agents in distilled water at 22°C and 37°C, and significantly increased at higher temperature. In silicone oil, resin-modified glass ionomer shrank the most and also shrank more with the high temperature. The result of the ion concentration analysis indicated that Ca+2 and OHion release increased with increasing time and also significantly with temperature rise. In conclusion, calcium aluminate-glass ionomer exhibited the most significant dimensional change when stored in water storage. The solubility of the tested luting agents should be evaluated in the future because they were not evaluated in this study. Furthermore, to evaluate the clinical effect of the dimensional changes, the impact on the gap formation at tooth-crown margins should be determined in future work.