Metal-reinforced glass ionomers: their flexural and bond strengths to tooth substrates.

This study compared the flexural strengths and bond strengths to dentin and enamel of two brands of silver-reinforced glass ionomers with their respective unfilled glass-ionomer cements for luting. The results led to the following conclusions. 1. No significant differences in bond strengths to tooth substrates were recorded between silver-reinforced and unfilled glass ionomers. 2. Although the mean bond-strength values of enamel were higher than those of dentin, no statistically significant differences were observed. 3. No significant differences in bond strengths to tooth substrates were observed between the two brands of glass ionomers studied. 4. No differences in flexural strengths were recorded between the silver-reinforced glass ionomer and glass ionomer of a similar brand for luting. 5. Ketac-Silver and Ketac-Cem cements had significantly higher flexural strength than Fuji II Lumi Alloy and Fuji I cements.