Post-minamata era and needs for amalgam alternatives

Abstract Body: With the advent of an amalgam phase-down or even phase-out in dentistry, there is need for economical alternatives to amalgam. Moreover, the expected changes both with regards to who needs restorative treatments as well as the shift from coronal to root cavities being restored will lead to increasing demand for easy-to-apply, self-adhesive bioactive materials. Glass ionomers possess many of these desirable characteristics, while their main weakness originally routed in their physical properties. In recent years, these materials have advanced, with improved physical and aesthetic properties, increasing their spectrum of application. The presentation will describe the evolution of this material class, and will assess the widened, but not infinite indication for glass ionomers. Both in vitro and clinical data for managing carious lesions but also hypomineralized ones using glass ionomers will be presented. Future directions that these materials may take and the requirements to be addressed will be discussed as well.