Evaluation of the solubility of dental cements in artificial saliva of different pH values.

The aim of this study was to determine the solubility of dental cements in artificial saliva of different pH values. A total of 180 specimens--20 specimens (20 mm diameter x 1.5 mm thickness) for each dental cement-were prepared. After the specimens were weighed, they were set in the media with different pH values. After 24 hours, 72 hours, seven days, and 28 days, the specimens were taken out, dried in a desiccator, and re-weighed. Percentage of solubility at each time period was calculated as 100 per cent times weight loss divided by the initial weight of the specimen. Analysis of variance and LSD multiple comparison test were applied. It was found that cement type, storage time, and medium pH exerted statistically significant (p<0.001) effects on solubility. Among the tested cement types, zinc phosphate cement (Adhesor Carbofine) presented the highest solubility. In terms of medium pH, the cements seemed to be most stable in the medium with pH 7.