Surface Structure of Zinc Phosphate Dental Cements

Abstract

When zinc phosphate cement is formed enclosed between a glass plate and a tooth surface, it retains the excess moisture available at the time of setting. This causes the cement surfaces to become covered with weakly held crystals of hopeite (3 ZnO·P 2 O 5 · 4 H 2 O). Crystals of hopeite also are evident at the surfaces of a zinc phosphate cement inserted into a tooth cavity.