Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC)
Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC)
- Last updated November 23, 2025
✅ Objectives
By the end of these revision notes, you should be able to:
- Describe the composition of glass ionomer cement
- Explain the setting reaction of GIC
- Identify the indications and contraindications of GIC
- Understand the clinical characteristics of GIC
What is Glass Ionomer Cement?
Glass ionomer cement (GIC) is a widely used direct restorative material. It sets through an acid-base reaction and is used in a variety of dental situations.
Composition of GIC
Conventional glass ionomer cement consists of powder and liquid components.
Powder
The powder is essentially a fluoro-alumino-silicate glass consisting of:
- Silicone dioxide
- Aluminium dioxide
- Calcium
- Fluoride (in varying forms)
This will react with the liquid component. Due to the fluoride components, there is some evidence that fluoride is released from glass ionomer cements.
Liquid
The liquid is a polyalkenoic acid (usually polyacrylic acid). Usually, a copolymer mix is also present to improve handling. There is often also tartaric acid which helps improve the working time, control the setting time and improve the final strength of the material.
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