Comparative in Vitro Analysis of Conventional Glass Ionomer Cements for Young Patients

Abstract

Background: Dental caries remains the major oral health concern, affecting about 2.5 billion people with permanent teeth and more than 500 million children with caries in primary teeth worldwide. Dental restorative materials like GIC are essential for managing the tooth structure and function affected by caries, particularly in children where effective and durable restoration is essential. Therefore, improving their antibacterial, mechanical and remineralization properties is important for effective long-term restoration. Objectives: To comparatively evaluate the mechanical properties, antimicrobial activity, and remineralization potential of commercially available conventional glass ionomer cements (GICs): GIC 1 (Crysta Cement; Type II restorative), GIC 2 (Lute; Type I luting), and GIC 3 (Prime; Type II restorative), with particular relevance to their potential use in pediatric restorative dentistry. Materials and Methods:  Standardized specimens (n = 5 per group) were prepared according to manufacturer’s instructions and ISO specifications. Flexural strength was evaluated using a three-point bending test, while compressive strength was assessed using a universal testing machine. Surface microhardness was measured using a Vickers hardness tester at baseline, after demineralization, and after remineralization. Antimicrobial activity was determined by the agar well diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD post-hoc test with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: GIC 2 demonstrated significantly higher flexural strength (40.87 ± 4.28 MPa) and compressive strength (52.36 ± 7.79 MPa) compared with the other tested materials (p < 0.05). It also exhibited the highest surface microhardness values at baseline, after demineralization, and after remineralization (p < 0.001). No statistically significant difference was observed in antimicrobial activity among the groups (p = 0.676), although all materials demonstrated inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this in vitro study, formulation-specific differences significantly influenced the mechanical and remineralization properties of conventional glass ionomer cements. GIC 2 exhibited superior mechanical performance and microhardness recovery, while all tested materials demonstrated comparable antimicrobial activity. These findings may be useful while selection of conventional GICs for pediatric restorative applications, however clinical performance in pediatric patients cannot be established from the present in vitro study.