title: A Comparative Study of the Retentive Strengths of Commercial and Indigenously Developed Luting Cements using Both Lathe-cut and Clinically Simulated Specimens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Superior adhesive strength in luting agents is of paramount significance in fixed partial denture success. In this in vitro study five cements were tested for retentive qualities, using both lathe-cut and hand-prepared specimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 104 freshly extracted tooth specimens were prepared. Seventy of them were lathe-cut and 30 specimens were hand-prepared to simulate clinical conditions. Five different cements were tested, which included a compomer, a composite, a zinc phosphate, and 2 glass-ionomer luting cements. Of the 5, 2 trial cements were indigenously developed by Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Trivandrum, India - a glass-ionomer cement (Chitra GIC) and a chemical-cure composite (Chitra CCC). All cements were compared within each group and between groups (lathe-prepared and hand-prepared).
  
  
  RESULTS
  GC Fuji 1 (GC America) exhibited superior retentive strengths in both lathe-cut and hand-prepared specimens, whereas the compomer cement displayed the lowest values when tested. In lathe-cut specimens, statistical analysis showed no significant difference between GC Fuji 1 and indigenously developed Chitra CCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both Chitra CCC and GC Fuji 1 have comparable strengths in lathe-cut samples, making Chitra CCC a potential luting agent. Statistical analysis reveals that all cements, except GC Fuji 1, exhibited a significant decrease in strength due to the change in design uniformity. The chemical bonding of GC Fuji 1 proves to be quite strong irrespective of shape and precision of the tooth crown.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The indigenously developed Chitra GIC and Chitra CCC showed promising results to be used as a potential luting agent.
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, PSM College of Dental Sciences and Research, Thrissur, Kerala, India, Phone: +919539239098 e-mail: joemathew@doctor.com.
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mathew
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Annoor Dental College and Hospital, Muvattupuzha, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Byju P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Kurian
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Annoor Dental College and Hospital, Muvattupuzha, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Biju
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Philip
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics, Royal Dental College, Palakkad Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, PSM College of Dental Sciences and Research, Thrissur, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Preetha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Menon
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Amrita School of Dentistry Kochi, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Rajan S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Raj
mesh_terms: D003442:Crowns; D003738:Dental Cements; D017268:Dental Prosthesis Retention; D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D015036:Zinc Phosphate Cement
chemical_list: D003738:Dental Cements; D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements; D015036:Zinc Phosphate Cement
keywords: Compomer; Glass-ionomer cement; Luting cement; Retention.