Thermal diffusivity in finite cylindrical specimens of dental cements.

1. A method has been developed and described for obtaining accurate thermal diffusivity values for dental cements and other restorative materials. This method employs specimens of a short cylindrical geometry which are readily fabricated from simply-constructed molds. 2. Results obtained for polycarboxylate and glass-ionomer cements show that the diffusivity values are mainly in the range of 2-3 x 10-3 cm2 s-1. Thus, the thermal characteristics of these materials are suitable if the cements are used as insulating bases below amalgam restorations. 3. thermal diffusivity values are a potential tool for investigating structure/property relationships in restorative materials, being sensitive to moisture content, powder/liquid ratio, and other compositional variables.