The physical chemistry of light-curable glass-ionomers

This paper reviews aspects of the physical chemistry of light-curable glass-ionomer cements. These materials have a tendency to undergo phase separation in solution and, when set, to take up water and swell. Other likely features of their behaviour include: (i) retardation of the ionic curing reaction by the presence of organic components; (ii) modification of the photochemical cure process by the presence of ionic species; and (iii) gradual phase separation on setting, leading to a domain structure in the solid state. The paper concludes that longer-term clinical studies are needed to demonstrate whether these features lead to durable materials or to materials containing inherent physico-chemical weaknesses that will limit their overall usefulness.