Synopsis
The present study investigated the role of matrix on the behavior of elements in HAp-added con-ventional glass ionomer cement (GIC), referred to as gapatite-ionomer cement (AIC)." The AIC samples were produced by replacing 8-16 wt% of GIC powder with porous spherical-shaped HAp. One-half of the samples had the matrix-rich layer removed. The AIC and GIC samples with and without a matrix-rich layer underwent multi-element analysis using a fluoride electrode and ICP-AES. The antibacterial activity of the samples against S. mutans was also evaluated using ATP-luminescence methods. The mineral ion release properties and antibacterial activity of AICs were superior to those of GIC. The concentrations of elements released from GIC and AIC samples with a matrix-rich layer were significantly greater than those from GIC and AIC samples without the matrix-rich layer. The luminescence intensities of S. mutans suspensions containing immersed AICs were significantly lower than those of suspensions containing GIC.
Key words: glass ionomer cement, hydroxyapatite, fluoride release, elemental analysis, antibacterial test
