Failure of a glass ionomer to remineralize apatite-depleted dentin

Remineralization of demineralized dentin lesions adjacent to glass-ionomer cements (gics) has been reported in the literature. this study tested the hypothesis that a strontium-based gic can remineralize completely demineralized dentin by nucleation of new apatite crystallites within an apatite-free dentin matrix. human dentin specimens were acid-etched,bonded with fuji ix gp,and immersed in a calcium-and-phosphate-containing 1.5x simulated body fluid (sbf) for 1-4 months. polyacrylic acid and polyvinylphosphonic acid biomimetic analogs were added to the sbfs to create 2 additional remineralization media. specimens were processed by transmission electron microscopy (tem). no apatite deposition could be identified in the completely demineralized dentin in any of the specimens immersed in the 3 remineralization media,despite tem/edx evidence of diffusion of ions specific to the strontium-based gic into the demineralized dentin. the hypothesis was rejected; mineral concentration alone is not a sufficient endpoint for assessing the success of contemporary remineralization strategies.