In vitro sister chromatid exchange induced by glass ionomer cements

The genotoxicity of three glass ionomer cements used in dentistry, manufactured by American (Vitrebond(TM)), Japanese (Fuji I(TM)), and European (Ketac Cem(TM)) companies were examined. The cement components were mixed according to the manufacturers' instructions and allowed to set for two defined times: 1 h or 1 week, before extracting them, as established by ISO standard 10993 part 12. To high-light sister chromatid exchange during mitosis, the extracts then were tested with human peripheral lymphocytes in the presence or absence of metabolic activation with S9 mix. The test performed was a genotoxicity test as provided for in standard EN 30993 part 3. Vitrebond(TM) resulted in direct genotoxicity and was strongly cytotoxic both in the extracts performed at 1 h and those at 1 week if they were allowed to set without photoactivation. Fuji I(TM) was noncytotoxic and showed only uncertain indirect genotoxicity in the extracts at 1 h; genotoxicity was not present in the extracts at 1 week. Ketac Cem(TM) cement was not genotoxic nor was it cytotoxic either at 1 h or 1 week. The authors concluded that of the three cements tested the European cement Ketac Cem(TM) passed one of the tests suggested by the EEC standard for assessing genotoxicy.