Dental cements have a wide range of dental and orthodontic applications. Common uses include temporary restoration of teeth, cavity linings to provide pulpal protection, sedation or insulation and cementing fixed prosthodontic appliances. Recent uses of dental cement also include two-photon calcium imaging of neuronal activity in brains of animal models in basic experimental neuroscience.
 Traditionally cements have separate powder and liquid components which are manually mixed. Thus working time, amount and consistency can be individually adapted to the task at hand. Some cements, such as GIC, can come in capsules and are mechanically mixed using rotating or oscillating mixing machines. Resin cements are no cements in a narrower sense, but rather polymer based composite materials. ISO 4049: 2019 classifies these polymer based luting materials according to curing mode as class 1 (self-cured), class 2 (light-cured), or class 3 (dual-cured). Most of the commercially available products are class 3 materials, combining chemical- and light-activation mechanisms.
 Hoffmann's (Hoffmann Dental Manufaktur)
 Hy-Bond Zinc  (Shofu Dental)
 Modern Tenacin (L.D. Caulk)
 Zinc Cement Improved (Mission White Dental)
 • Cementation of inlays, onlays, crowns and bridges made of precious metal, non-precious metal as well as metal ceramic and all-ceramic (zirconium oxide, aluminium oxide and lithium disilicate ceramic)
 • Cementation of implant-supported crowns and bridges
 • Cementation of orthodontic bands
 • Cementation of retention pins and screws
 • Core build-ups
 • Long-term temporary fillings
 • Fillings in deciduous teeth
 no chemical adhesion
 Low tensile strength
 exothermic during mixing
 High solubility (in oral fluids)
 Durelon (3M Espe)
 Hy-Bond (Shofu Dental)
 Tylok Plus (L.D. Caulk)
 Orthodontic bands
 Cavity liner
 Metal crowns
 Metal-ceramic crowns
 Adhesive to tooth structure
 Sufficient compressive strength
 Higher tensile strength than Zinc Phosphate
 expands minimally can thus  compensate for polymerisation shrinkage under composite fillings
 Low resistance to erosion in acidic environment
 No acid pain
 Short working time
 Ketac-Cem (3M/Espe)
 Porcelain restorations
 All Ceramic Crowns with high strength cores such as alumina or zirconia
 Orthodontic bands
 Cavity liners
 Restoring erosion lesions
 Dentine close to pulp (place suitable liner first)
 fluoride release
 Ease of Mixing
 Good flow
 Aesthetic
 Thermal compatible with enamel
 Low shrinkage
 Good resistance to acid dissolution
 Translucency ??
 Rapid set – time limitation especially in cementation of several units.
 Moisture sensitivity at set
 fluoride release
 Inherent opacity
 Low fracture toughness
 Poor wear resistance
 Radiolucency
 Possible pulpal sensitivity
 Vitremer Luting (3M/Espe)
 Advance (L.D. Caulk)
 Rely X Luting
 Core buildups
 Luting cements
 Crowns
 Orthodontic appliances
 Veneer – not retentive enough
 Fluoride release
 Higher flexural strength than GI
 Capable of bonding to composite materials
 Moisture sensitive  
 Fynal (L.D. Caulk)
 Super EBA (Bosworth)
 Provisional cementation of fixed partial dentures
 Provisional restoration of teeth
 Cavity liner
 Good sealing ability
 Resistance to marginal penetration
 Obtundent effect on pulpal tissues
 Low strength  
 Low abrasion resistance
 Soluble (in oral fluids)
 Little anticariogenic action
 READY2PROTECT
Copperioncement
(Hoffmann Dental Manufaktur)
 bacteria-tight seal
 Multilink Automix SG(Vivadent)
 RelyX Unicem 2 (3M/ESPE)
 Maxcem Elite (Kerr)
 TheraCEM (BISCO)
 Bonding fixed partial dentures
 Inlays
 Veneers
 Indirect resin restorations
 Resin-fiber posts
 Light cured under a metal crown since it would not cure through the metal.
 Least soluble (in oral fluids)
 High micromechanical bonding to prepared enamel, dentin, alloys, and ceramic surfaces
 Neutral pH
 Difficult sealing
 Requires a meticulous and critical technique
 Possible pulpal sensitivity
 Difficult to remove excess cement
 
 
 
 
 
 Dental cements can be utilised in a variety of ways depending on the composition and mixture of the material. The following categories outline the main uses of cements in dental procedures.
 Unlike composite and amalgam restorations, cements are usually used as a temporary restorative material. This is generally due to their reduced mechanical properties which may not withstand long-term occlusal load.
 Amalgam does not bond to tooth tissue and therefore requires mechanical retention in the form of undercuts, slots and grooves. However, if insufficient tooth tissue remains after cavity preparation to provide such retentive features, a cement can be utilised to help retain the amalgam in the cavity.
 Historically, zinc phosphate and polycarboxylate cements were used for this technique, however since the mid-1980s composite resins have been the material of choice due to their adhesive properties. Common resin cements utilised for bonded amalgams are RMGIC and dual-cure resin based composite.
 When a cavity reaches close proximity to the pulp chamber, it is advisable to protect the pulp from further insult by placing a base or liner as a means of insulation from the definitive restoration.  Cements indicated for liners and bases include:
 Pulp capping is a method to protect the pulp chamber if the clinician suspects it may have been exposed by caries or cavity preparation. Indirect pulp caps are indicated for suspected micro-exposures whereas direct pulp caps are place on a visibly exposed pulp. In order to encourage pulpal recovery, it is important to use a sedative, non-cytotoxic material such as Setting Calcium Hydroxide cement.
 Luting materials are used to cement fixed prosthodontics such as crowns and bridges. Luting cements are often of similar composition to restorative cements, however they usually have less filler meaning the cement is less viscous.
 ISO classification
Cements are classified on the basis of their components. Generally, they can be classified into categories:
 Cements can be classified based on the type of their matrix:
 Based on time of use:
 These cements are resin based composites. They are commonly used to definitively cement indirect restorations, especially resin bonded bridges and ceramic or indirect composite restorations,  to the tooth tissue. They are usually used in conjunction with a bonding agent as they have no ability to bond to the tooth, although there are some products that can be applied directly to the tooth (self-etching products).
Panavia was created in Tamil Nadu, India. The name panavia in Hindi Sanskrit means "stick to a tooth". It is described to be one of the toughest cements in the world.
 There are 3 main resin based cements;
 Resin cements come in a range of shades to improve aesthetics.
 Zinc polycarboxylate was invented in 1968 and was revolutionary as it was the first cement to exhibit the ability to chemically bond to the tooth surface. Very little pulpal irritation is seen with its use due to the large size of the polyacrylic acid molecule. This cement is commonly used for the installation of crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, and orthodontic appliances.
 
 Composition:
 Adhesion:
 Indications for use:
 Zinc phosphate was the very first dental cement to appear on the dental marketplace and is seen as the “standard” for other dental cements to be compared to. The many uses of this cement include permanent cementation of crowns, orthodontic appliances, intraoral splints, inlays, post systems, and fixed partial dentures. Zinc phosphate exhibits a very high compressive strength, average tensile strength and appropriate film thickness when applies according to manufacture guidelines. However the issues with the clinical use of zinc phosphate is its initially low PH when applied in an oral environment (this linked to pulpal irritation) and the cements inability to chemically bond to the tooth surface although this has not affected the successful long term use of the material.
 Composition:
 Formerly known as the most commonly used luting agent. Zinc Phosphate Cement works successfully for permanent cementation, it does not possess anticariogenic effect, not adherent to tooth structure, acquires a moderate degree of intraoral solubility. However, Zinc Phosphate cement can irritate nerve pulp hence pulp protection is required but the use of polycarboxylate cement (Zinc polycarboxylate, glass ionomer) is highly recommended since it is a more biologically compatible cement.
 Dental materials such as filling and orthodontic instruments must satisfy biocompatibility requirements as they will be in the oral cavity for a long period of time. Some dental cements can contain chemicals that may induce allergic reactions on various tissues in the oral cavity. Common allergic reactions include stomatitis/dermatitis, urticaria, swelling, rash and rhinorrhea. These may predispose to life-threatening conditions such as anaphylaxis, oedema and cardiac arrhythmias.
 Eugenol is widely used in dentistry for different applications including impression pastes, periodontal dressings, cements, filling materials, endodontic sealers and dry socket dressings. Zinc oxide eugenol is a cement commonly used for provisional restorations and root canal obturation. Although classified as non-cariogenic by the Food and Drug Administration, eugenol is proven to be cytotoxic with the risk of anaphylactic reactions in certain patients.
 Zinc oxide eugenol constituents a mixture of zinc oxide and eugenol to form a polymerised eugenol cement. The setting reaction produces an end product called zinc eugenolate which readily hydrolyses producing free eugenol that causes adverse effects on fibroblast and osteoclast-like cells. At high concentrations localised necrosis and reduced healing occurs whereas for low concentrations contact dermatitis is the common clinical manifestation.
 Allergy contact dermatitis has been proven to be the highest clinical occurrence usually localised to soft tissues with buccal mucosa being the most prevalent. Normally a patch test done by dermatologists will be used to diagnose the condition. Glass Ionomer cements have been used to substitute zinc oxide eugenol cements (thus removing the allergen), with positive outcome from patients.