Glass ionomer cements have the disadvantage of being vulnerable to moisture. We would like to overcome this problem by clinical procedures. Three glass ionomer cements were tested in vitro with the goal of protecting these materials from moisture during clinical operations. To observe the effectiveness of various surface protective measures, we divided each cement sample into six groups, each of which underwent 24-hour surface treatment. The first group was a control where the cement was covered with a glass slab for 24 hours. The remaining five groups were subjected to no treatment or treatment with varnish, cocoa butter, Teethmate-A, or Ketac-Glaze. Two additional groups were prepared for comparison of early finishing with and without water spray. When the Vickers hardness number (HVN) for each sample was measured at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, and 40 days, it tended to increase after 24 hours, reaching a maximum value at different times with different cements. Analysis of variance revealed that during the first few days the hardness of the control was significantly different from that without treatment or with treatment by varnish or cocoa butter. However, treatment with Teethmate-A or Ketac-Glaze produced results close to those for the control. Significant differences in hardness during the first few days were noted when early finishing was carried out under wet and dry conditions. These findings indicate that a light-cured unfilled resin should be applied to the surface of glass ionomer cement immediately after the initial set to allow complete setting without interference by oral fluids. Also, water spray should be avoided during contouring of the cements if they have not fully hardened.