ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This study was aimed to compare the radiopacity of four kinds of currently available resin based implant cements using digital radiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four resin-based implant cements ((Estemp Implant(TM) (Spident, Incheon, Korea), Premier(R) Implant (Premier, Pennsylvania, USA), Cem-Implant(TM) (B.J.M lab, Or-yehuda, Israel), InterCem(TM) (SCI-PHARM, California, USA)) and control group (Elite Cement 100(TM) (GC, Tokyo, Japan)) were mixed and cured according to the manufacturer's instructions on the custom made split-type metal mold. A total of 150 specimens of each cement were prepared and each specimen (purity over 99%) was placed side-by-side with an aluminum step wedge for image taking with Intraoral X-ray unit (Esx, Vatech, Korea) and digital X-ray sensor (EzSensor, Vatech, Korea). For the evaluation of aluminum wedge equivalent thickness (mm Al), Image J 1.47 m (Wayne Rasband, National Institutes of Health, USA) and Color inspector 3D ver 2.0 (Interaktive Visualisierung von Farbraumen, Berlin, Germany) programs were used. RESULT: Among the 5 cements, Elite cement 100(TM) (control group) showed the highest radio-opacity in all thickness. In the experimental group, InterCem(TM) had the highest radio-opacity followed by Premier(R) Implant Cement(TM), Cem-Implant(TM) and Estemp Implant(TM). In addition, InterCem(TM) showed radio-opacity that met the ISO No. 4049 standard in all the tested specimen thickness. Cem-Implant on 0.5 mm thickness showed radiopacity that met the ISO No. 4049 standard. CONCLUSION: Among the implant resin-based cements tested in the study, Premier(R) Implant Cement and Estemp Implant(TM) did not show appropriate radio-opacity. Only InterCem(TM) and Cem-Implant(TM) 0.5 mm specimen had the proper radiopacity and met the experiment standard.