Luting Cements

Different clinical situations require different luting agents and no one material is indicated for every case. The properties of various cements differ from each other. Hence, the choice of cement is mandated to a large degree by the functional and biologic demands of the particular clinical situation. If optimal performance is to be attained, the physical and biologic properties, and the handling characteristic, such as the working and setting times and ease of removing excess materials, must be considered in selecting a cement for a specific task. Advancement in dental adhesive materials have facilitated the growth of conservative dentistry, strengthening and supporting the remaining tooth structure without the need to remove healthy tooth tissue. However, in the last quarter of the 20th century, things began to change with the introduction of many more adhesive materials such as the resin hybrid cements and resin cements. Now the dental professionals continue to seek new adhesive characteristics to improve the traditional materials. There is now also a growing market for resin adhesive technologies.