Fluoride-releasing dental restorative materials.

In the 1940s, dentists observed that secondary caries was rarely associated with silicate cement restorations. While the relatively stable dimensional properties of those restorations were undoubtedly a factor in this fortunate circumstance, the fact that fluoride was inherent in the composition of the material received the greater credit. By the mid-1980s, a wide variety of fluoride-releasing dental restorative materials were available to dentists and dental consumers, and the cariostatic effect of fluoride ions on enamel caries had been demonstrated in many studies. This paper reviews much of the fluoride-related research conducted on fluoride-releasing amalgam, glass-ionomer cements, composites, primers, sealants, liners, acrylic resins, and orthodontic bracket bonding materials. The need for standardization of test methods is addressed, as is the need for more controlled clinical trials and additional research.