A model for the dissolution and fluoride release from dental cements.

Data on the rate of dissolution (including fluoride ion release) of silicate and glass ionomer cement samples of variable surface area:volume ratios are examined in conjunction with dye penetration experiments and a simultaneous EDX analysis of the five elements F, Si, P, Al, Ca., as obtained by a series of point analyses taken at 10 micron intervals over a length of 7mm on a cement sample exposed to two months continuous immersion. Adding to this unpublished information on the surface area (from BET) and porosity (mercury porosimetry) it is shown that, in their behaviour, these cements behave as controlled release systems of the porous granular monolith type and that application of homogeneous monolith equations is inappropriate.