title: Comparative study of the radiopacity of resin cements used in aesthetic dentistry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare the radiopacity of 6 modern resin cements with that of human enamel and dentine using the Digora digital radiography system, to verify whether they meet the requirements of ANSI/ADA specification no. 27/1993 and the ISO 4049/2000 standard and assess whether their radiopacity is influenced by the thickness of the cement employed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three 3-thickness samples (0.5, 1 and 1.5 mm) were fabricated for each material. The individual cement samples were radiographed on the CCD sensor next to the aluminium wedge and the tooth samples. Five radiographs were made of each sample and therefore five readings of radiographic density were taken for each thickness of the materials. The radiopacity was measured in pixels using Digora 2.6 software. The calibration curve obtained from the mean values of each step of the wedge made it possible to obtain the equivalent in mm of aluminium for each mm of the luting material.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With the exception of Variolink Veneer Medium Value 0, all the cements studied were more radiopaque than enamel and dentin (P<.05) and complied with the ISO and ANSI/ADA requirements (P<.001). The radiopacity of all the cements examined depended on their thickness: the thicker the material, the greater its radiopacity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All materials except Variolink Veneer Medium Value 0 yielded radiopacity values that complied with the recommendations of the ISO and ANSI/ADA. Variolink Veneer Medium Value 0 showed less radiopacity than enamel and dentin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Catholic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0495-4632
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montes-Fariza
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Catholic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monterde-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Catholic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cabanillas-Casabella
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Catholic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pallares-Sabater
keywords: Luting cement; Radiopacity; Resin cement