Proposed nomenclature for glass-ionomer dental cements and related materials.

The development of the original glass-ionomer cement by Wilson and Kent in 1969' was significant in that it made available for the first time a restorative dental material that had long-term adhesion to tooth structure. It also possessed some cariostatic properties due to the sustained release of fluoride.^ More recently, glass-ionomer/composite resin hybrid materials have been introduced into chnical dentistry,̂ "* and this has led to considerable confusion over nomenclature. The terms "light-cured" (or "light-curable"), "dual cure," "resin-reinforced," and "resinmodified" have all been applied to them; in the worst cases, no qualifying phrase has been used at all. Instead, the term glass-ionomer has been used alone, giving the reader the impression that what is described is simply an accepted variation on the well-established theme of acid-base dental cements known as glassionomers. In a recent letter, Mount^ has highlighted the difficulties of this state of affairs, and called attention to the need for clear and unambiguous nomenclature in this field. He has also pointed out quite unacceptable examples of manufacturers calling their products lightcurable glass-ionomer cements, when in fact Iheir products show no evidence of the recognized setting reaction (ie, neutralization) and. when set, do not exhibit the typical properties of true glass-ionomer cements, such as adhesion or fluoride release.