Zinc polycarboxylate dental cement for the controlled release of an active organic substance: proof of concept

Dental Luting Cements: An Updated Comprehensive Review

The cementation of indirect restoration is one of the most important steps in prosthetic and restorative dentistry. Cementation aims to bond the prosthetic restoration to the prepared enamel or enamel and dentine. Successful cementation protocols prevent biofilm formation at the margin between tooth and restoration and minimize mechanical and biological complications. With the advancements in dental cements, they have been modified to be versatile in terms of handling, curing, and bond strengths. This review presents updates on dental cements, focusing on the composition, properties, advantages, limitations, and indications of the various cements available. Currently, dental restorations are made from various biomaterials, and depending on each clinical case, an appropriate luting material will be selected. There is no luting material that can be universally used. Therefore, it is important to distinguish the physical, mechanical, and biological properties of luting materials in order to identify the best options for each case. Nowadays, the most commonly used dental cements are glass-ionomer and resin cement. The type, shade, thickness of resin cement and the shade of the ceramic, all together, have a tangible influence on the final restoration color. Surface treatments of the restoration increase the microtensile bond strength. Hence, the proper surface treatment protocol of both the substrate and restoration surfaces is needed before cementation. Additionally, the manufacturer's instructions for the thin cement-layer thickness are important for the long-term success of the restoration.

Application of Texture and Fractal Dimension Analysis to Evaluate Subgingival Cement Surfaces in Terms of Biocompatibility

Biocompatibility is defined as “the ability of a biomaterial, prosthesis, or medical device to perform with an appropriate host response in a specific application”. Biocompatibility is especially important for restorative dentists as they use materials that remain in close contact with living tissues for a long time. The research material involves six types of cement used frequently in the subgingival region: Ketac Fil Plus (3M ESPE, Germany), Riva Self Cure (SDI, Australia) (Glass Ionomer Cements), Breeze (Pentron Clinical, USA) (Resin-based Cement), Adhesor Carbofine (Pentron, Czech Republic), Harvard Polycarboxylat Cement (Harvard Dental, Great Britain) (Zinc polycarboxylate types of cement) and Agatos S (Chema-Elektromet, Poland) (Zinc Phosphate Cement). Texture and fractal dimension analysis was applied. An evaluation of cytotoxicity and cell adhesion was carried out. The fractal dimension of Breeze (Pentron Clinical, USA) differed in each of the tested types of cement. Adhesor Carbofine (Pentron, Czech Republic) cytotoxicity was rated 4 on a 0–4 scale. The Ketac Fil Plus (3M ESPE, Germany) and Riva Self Cure (SDI, Australia) cements showed the most favorable conditions for the adhesion of fibroblasts, despite statistically significant differences in the fractal dimension of their surfaces.

Release of cetyl pyridinium chloride from fatty acid chelate temporary dental cement

Objective To determine whether the antimicrobial nature of a fatty acid chelate temporary dental cement can be enhanced by the addition of 5% cetyl pyridinium chloride (CPC).

Materials and methods The temporary cement, Cavex Temporary was employed, and additions of CPC were made to either the base or the catalyst paste prior to mixing the cement. Release of CPC from set cement specimens was followed using reverse-phase HPLC for a period of up to 2 weeks following specimen preparation. Potential interactions between Cavex and CPC were examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and antimicrobial effects were determined using zone of inhibition measurements after 24 h with disc-shaped specimens in cultured Streptococcus mutans.

Results FTIR showed no interaction between CPC and the components of the cement. CPC release was found to follow a diffusion mechanism for the first 6 h or so, and to equilibrate after approximately 2 weeks, with no significant differences between release profiles when the additive was incorporated into the base or the catalyst paste. Diffusion was rapid, and had a diffusion coefficient of approximately 1 × 10⁻⁹ m² s⁻¹ in both cases. Total release was in the range 10–12% of the CPC loading. Zones of inhibition around discs containing CPC were significantly larger than those around the control discs of CPC-free cement.

Conclusions The antimicrobial character of this temporary cement can be enhanced by the addition of CPC. Such enhancement is of potential clinical value, though further in vivo work is needed to confirm this.