Water sorption and water solubility of current luting cements: An in vitro study

Objective: To evaluate the water-sorption characteristics and the solubility behavior of 4 luting cements-2 composite resins (CRs), a polyacid-modified composite resin (PMCR), and a resin-modified glass-ionomer cement (RMGIC)-according to the ISO 4049 specifications. Method and Materials: Five disks (15 x 1 mm) of each material (Variolink II [CR1; Vivadent], Panavia F [CR2; Kuraray], Resinomer [PMCR; Bisco], and Fuji Plus [RMGIC; GC]) were prepared according to the manufacturers' instructions. Specimens were first desiccated until a consistent mass was obtained. Specimens were immersed for 7 days in distilled water and immediately weighed after this period. Then the disks were post-desiccated and weighed every day for 35 days. The water sorption and solubility of each specimen were calculated according to the change in its weight as observed before and after immersion and desiccation periods. Results: Fuji Plus exhibited the overall higher values of water sorption and solubility (P < .001). Of the 3 resin-based luting cements, Resinomer demonstrated significantly higher water sorption and solubility (P < .001), whereas Variolink II and Panavia F showed low values and were not significantly different (P = .2). Conclusions: Behavior of resin-based materials in water varies according to the composition characteristics. In particular, the high portion of hydrophilic chemical species, as well as the filler characteristics, provoke very high water sorption and solubility values. In this way, and within the limitations of this in vitro study, composite resin luting cements appear to be more suitable than compomers and resin-modified glass-ionomer cements to meet longevity requirements.