Contemporary evaluation of dental cements.

Today, the clinician has numerous dental cements available for luting of restorations to prepared teeth. Compared to traditional cements, many of the newer cements have improved physical properties. In this article, we analyze available cements in terms of these physical properties based on scientific data and attempts to determine their effect on long-term clinical performance. We conclude that these improved physical properties do not necessarily result in improved clinical performance. We also conclude that although these newer cements have specific clinical applications, they should not be routinely used for the cementation of metal castings because they are clearly more technique-sensitive than traditional luting agents. Zinc-phosphate cement remains the cement of choice for cementing cast gold and metal-ceramic restorations.