Biodentine Achieves Better Vickers Microhardness and Diametral Tensile Strength When Compared to Glass Ionomer Cement - An Experimental Study

Abstract

<p><strong>ABSTRACT</strong></p>
 <p><strong>Background and Objective:</strong> Replacing lost dentin with an appropriate substitute has been challenging in recent years. Biodentine and conventional glass ionomers are used as dentin replacement materials. This study aimed to compare the Vickers microhardness (VHN), diametral tensile strength (DTS), and setting time of Biodentine and glass ionomer cement (GIC).<br /><strong>Methods:</strong> This experimental study was conducted in the Department of Science of Dental Materials at Fatima Memorial College of Dentistry, Lahore, in collaboration with the Interdisciplinary Research Centre of Biomedical Materials, COMSATS Lahore from December 2022 to March 2023. A total of fifty disc-shaped samples (4 × 2 mm) of Biodentine and GIC Gold Label 2 were fabricated to assess the VHN, DTS, and setting time after immersion in distilled water for 1 hour and after 3 days. Data were analyzed by applying the paired and independent t-tests using Statistical Package for Social Sciences 26.0.<br /><strong>Results:</strong> The mean VHN value of Biodentine and GIC Gold Label 2 cement was 23.4 ± 1.5 and 17.5 ± 1.27 after 1 hour and 31.9 ± 1.66 and 29.6 ± 1.58 after 3 days, respectively. DTS of Biodentine [7.0 ± 0.91 mega pascal (MPa)] was significantly greater than GIC Gold label 2 (5.5 ± 0.68 MPa) after 1 hour (p < 0.05). However, after 3 days, there was a slight increase in the DTS of Biodentine (9.3 ± 1.53 MPa) while compared to GIC Gold label 2 (8.2 ± 1.0 MPa) and this difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Biodentine had a higher setting time than GIC Gold label 2, with an initial setting time of 6.7 minutes compared to 2.9 minutes.<br /><strong>Conclusion:</strong> GIC Gold label 2 has a shorter setting time than the but Biodentine which, however, showed higher Vicker’s microhardness and DTS. Therefore, Biodentine may be a more suitable substitute for dentine replacement than the GIC Gold label 2.</p>