The comparative strengths of commercial glass-ionomer cements with and without metal additions.

Metal reinforced glass-ionomer cements are said to possess superior mechanical properties when compared to non-metal reinforced glass-ionomer cements. However, the literature to date does not always support this view, owing to the variety of materials and test methods employed. In this study the mechanical properties of three reinforced and three standard materials were tested using the standard specification tests of compressive and diametral strength in addition to tensile strength using the four point bend test. The tensile strength was also measured using the shell test in order that this test, which on theoretical grounds is more suited to these materials, may be evaluated. Six specimens of each material were prepared for each of the test modalities resulting in the conclusion that the addition of metal to glass-ionomer cements can markedly increase the strength of the materials. However, the method of fusing the metal to the glass rather than by simple addition does not produce any advantages in strength. In this evaluation one reinforced material was significantly stronger than all other materials in all four test modalities. The compressive strength test which appears in most standards does not appear to be very discriminatory. Of the tensile tests, which have more clinical significance, the results of the diametral strength tests, which are included in some standards, appear to be at variance with the other two tensile tests, suggesting that the flexural or shell test would be more appropriate.