[Glass ionomer cementing in stomatological practice].
Glass ionomers cements represent a cement system which develops by a reaction between a polyalchenic acid, usually a homo- or a copolymer of acrylic acid and a ion donor, usually an aluminium fluorosilicate glass. Introduction of these ionomers in the stomatological practice was determined by their remarkable adherence to dentin, by pulpal and parodontal biocompatibility, and because of the fact that they deliver continuously fluorine over a long period of time. These cements provide a good marginal sealing of the obturation. In the last years a new generation of glass ionomers cements has been introduced, that "Cormat" cements, in which the glass powder is intimately linked to a pure silver metallic powder by a synthetization process, and this provides a greatly increased resistance to abrasion, as compared to conventional glass ionomer cements. Presently glass ionomer cements have become increasingly known in the stomatological practice and they are used preferentially for base obturations, under obturations with composites on lateral teeth, in the treatment of mylolysis and for coronary erosions determined by brushing, which do not need preparation of retention cavities. They are also used for coronary reconstruction, and the treatment of atopical microcavities of occluding decay processes on the lateral teeth that have induced limited enamel losses. The perspective of these cements in the stomatological practice depends however on an improved translucency, which, for the present at least, does not match that of silicates and composites, as well as on an improved resistance to bending, and even the "Cormat" cements are inferior to silver amalgam which is used in the obturation of classical class II cavities.