A STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE ON CONVENTIONAL AND RESIN-MODIFIED GLASS-IONOMER DENTAL CEMENTS

The effect of aqueous hydrogen sulfide on the properties of a conventional and a resin-modified glass-ionomer dental cement has been determined. Specimens were stored for 1 week in (i) H 2 S/glycerol/water, (ii) glycerol/water and (iii) pure water. After this time, the mass changes were determined, the pH of the solution was measured and the ion-content was determined, the latter by ICP-OES. There were significant differences in the mass uptake, pH change and ion release of the cements. Both showed significant gains in mass in both water and water/glycerol. In H 2 S/water/glycerol Ketac Cem (a conventional glassionomer) showed an insignificant mass loss, and Fuji Plus showed a minor significant gain. Both materials altered the pH of all storage solutions significantly. The pH of the H 2 S/water/glycerol medium increased whereas the pH of both pure water and water/glycerol went down. The ion release into glycerol/water was different from release into water, with sodium release being suppressed. The H 2 S medium showed almost no differences from glycerol/water, indicating that the H 2 S component has almost no effect on these cements. This leads to the conclusion that these cements can safely be used sub-gingivally even in patients where oral malodour suggests that reasonable amounts of H 2 S may be present.