Shear Resistance of Silver- and Stainless Steel-Reinforced Glass-Ionomer Cements Bonded to Enamel and Dentin

The shear bond strength to human dentin and enamel was evaluated for four glass-ionomer cements: an experimental stainless steel-reinforced glass-ionomer cement, two commercially available silver-reinforced cements, and a conventional glass-ionomer cement. Bonded specimens were stored in distilled water for 7 days during which time they were subjected to thermocycling in water baths at 5 degrees C and 55 degrees C for a 1-minute dwell time per bath and 1500 cycles. Specimens were then shear tested. The experimental stainless steel-reinforced glass-ionomer cement had a significantly higher bond strength to enamel (P .01) and dentin (P .05) than did the commercially available cements.