Effects of Incorporation of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles on Mechanical Properties of Conventional Glass Ionomer Cement

Due to the poor mechanical properties of Glass Ionomer Cement (GICs), their use is limited to low stress-bearing areas. This study aimed to assess the effect of the addition of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles on the flexural strength and surface hardness of GIC.  In this in vitro study, 3, 5, and 10 wt.% TiO2 nanoparticles were added to Fuji II conventional GIC powder. The purity and composition of the as-synthesized titania were investigated by using XRD and FT-IR tools. The homogeneity of powder particles within the used matrix was evaluated under a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The SEM micrographs confirmed the homogenous mixing of TiO2 nanoparticles with GIC powder. Nevertheless, the flexural strength of experimental groups was not significantly different from that of the control group (p=0.384). However, the surface hardness of experimental groups was decreased in comparison with that of the control group (p<0.001).