The hydration of dental cements.

A study was made of the hydration of dental cements, water being classified as "non-evaporable" and "evaporable". The ratio of these two types of water was found to vary greatly among different cement types, being lesser in zinc oxide and ionic polymer cements and greater in ion-leachable glass and phosphoric acid cements. The cement with the least "non-evaporable" water, i.e., showing least hydration (the zinc polycarboxylate cement), had the lowest strength and modulus and the greatest deformation at failure. A linear relationship was found to exist between strength and the degree of hydration of dental cements. All the cements were found to become more highly hydrated and stronger as they aged.