Biocompatibility of glass-ionomer cements in dentistry

Biocompatibility takes into account the ability of a material to elicit a specific biological response after administration to a living organism. The concept does not define only one quality of the material, but reflects a complex of interactions with the biological environment in which it is placed. Over time, the definition of biocompatibility has gradually changed. Dental cements are the main clinical obturating materials. First created by Wilson and Kent in 1969, glass ionomer (polyalkenoate) cements have become widely used in medicine and dentistry. The purpose of this review is to discuss the biocompatibility of glass ionomer cements. Scientific databases - PubMed and SCOPUS were used to find appropriate studies in English on the topic of this article, with the following keywords - biocompatibility, glass ionomer cements, dentistry. A time period of 2000-2021 was set to screen articles and track the progress of the biocompatibility of dental cements in the new millennium. In addition to the cited scientific databases and articles such as clinical trials, review articles, meta-analyzes, writing of the report included information from Bulgarian and foreign textbooks in English on the subject. After applying the screening criteria, 61 results were displayed in SCOPUS and 215 in PubMed. From them, selected articles that describe experimental productions with testing the properties of cements, incl. to living cells, were reviewed. Science has found that by modifying the composition of the powder and the liquid of the cement, properties and biocompatibility can be affected. Modifications with the addition of nanoparticles hydroxylapatite and silica, carbon nanocompounds, zinc ions, cellulose microfiber and nanocrystals, amorphous calcium phosphate, chlorhexidine, collagen type 1 and peptides have been reported. Cement liquid has also been improved, which changes its properties. In the given time period between 2000-2021 there is a rapid rise of development and improvement of the properties of already synthesized cements. Efforts are being made to study the biocompatibility of materials and their properties to help tissue regeneration. There is also a wider use of materials and their implementation into various fields of medicine and dentistry.