Comparative evaluation of microleakage of self-cure, dual-cure, and light cure glass ionomer cement in a simulated oral environment - an invitro study

Background. Pediatric dentistry utilizes various restorative materials wherein the durability and longevity of these restorations hinge on the maintenance of an intact marginal seal to prevent microleakage and its associated complications. Consequently, this study aims to assess the microleakage of self-cure, dual-cure, and light-cure glass ionomer-based cements utilizing a stereo microscope. Materials and Methods: Sixty therapeutically extracted deciduous molars were taken for the study. The restorative materials used for the studies were self-cure Glass Ionomer cement (Chemfil Rock and GC Fuji IX GP Fast GIC), dual cure Glass Ionomer cement (EquiaForte and Ionolux GIC), and light cure Glass Ionomer cement (GC Fuji II and Ketac N 100 GIC). All samples were stored in commercially available artificial saliva for 20 days to simulate the oral environment. The samples were immersed in Rhodamine B dye for 24 hours, and microleakage was evaluated using a Stereo microscope. Data were tabulated and statistical analysis was done. p < 0.05 is considered significant Results: In the individual assessment of glass ionomer-based cement, Ketac N100 GIC exhibited the lowest microleakage, whereas Ionolux displayed higher levels of microleakage. Conclusion: In terms of the curing method, light-cure glass ionomer cement demonstrated the least microleakage compared to both dual-cure and self-cure glass ionomer cement.