CHARACTERIZATION OF GLASS IONOMER CEMENTS STORED IN VARIOUS SOLUTIONS

The aim of this work was to evaluate the nano-mechanical properties of glass ionomer materials, the ion concentrations at the surfaces in relation to the storage media and the pH environments using a scanning electron microscope with an energy-dispersive spectrometer (SEM/EDX). The glass-ionomer-based materials, Fuji Triage (FT), Fuji VIII (FVIII), Fuji IX GP (FIX), were analyzed. The sample comprised 45 cured cement disks. Five specimens of each tested material were placed in 3 storage solutions (saline, acidic solution with pH of 5.5, NaF solution with 0.05 % of fluoride). Nano-indentations were performed with a force up to 30 mN, penetration depths of 2500–2700 nm for 1 d and 21 d after setting. The EDX evaluation was carried out for each experimental disk, identifying the ions: O, Al, Sr, Si, F, Na, P, Ca. The level of significance was placed at p Fuji IX>FT) (p < 0.001) and the storage media (p < 0.001). Both the me