The relative shear bond strength of visible light-curing and chemically curing glass-ionomer cement to composite resin.

The purpose of this study was to compare the shear bond strength to composite resin of a light-curing glass-ionomer cement with that of various chemically curing glass-ionomer cements. Light-cured composite resin cylinders were bonded to cylindrical glass-ionomer substrates after etching for 30 seconds with 37% phosphoric acid. Specimens were maintained in distilled water for 7 days and then thermocycled in water baths. One group of light-cured glass-ionomer cement substrates was not etched. The interfacial bond strength of these specimens was measured in shear. Cement shear strength was also evaluated. Statistical analysis showed the light-curing cement to have a significantly higher bond strength to composite resin than any of the chemically curing cements tested.