3M Ketac Cem

The clinical success of permanent restorations is primarily a function of the cementation process. The loss of crown retention has been described as one of the most frequent causes for clinical failure of traditional crown and partial tooth restorations. Though adequate tooth preparation for retention purposes remains the most important single factor for the clinical success of restorations, other criteria such as the barrier function against bacterial colonization and the sealing function at the interface of tooth and restoration and as a „mediator“ of different surfaces must also be met by the luting material.

An ideal luting material meets the following requirements: • Formation of a stable bond between different materials

• Adequate compressive and flexural strength

• Sufficient fracture resistance that prevents restoration detachment due to fractures at interfaces or cohesive fractures • Favorable flow properties during the approximation to both the tooth structure and the restoration

• Formation of sufficiently thin films of adequate viscosity, permitting complete attachment of the restoration to the tooth stump

• Stability under the ambient conditions inside the mouth • Biocompatibility • Favorable processing and setting times

The selection of a suitable luting cement for a particular application is based on numerous clinical parameters and material requirements. These latter factors principally relate either to handling aspects or to technical material properties. As mentioned above, Ketac™ Cem has been successfully marketed since 1980. In addition to the experience derived from millions of uses in clinical practice, numerous studies of the material properties as well as controlled clinical studies are available. The following sections provide a detailed discussion of selected results. In addition, numerous publications related to Ketac Cem and some general references on glass ionomers have been assembled in the Literature section of this product profile. The references are supplied with short abstracts to allow the interested reader easy access to primary literature that is of a particular interest to him or her.

Intro kit contains 33g powder, 12ml liquid and mixing pad.