Plastcementer

English summary Resin cements 532 – 7. Tooth-coloured indirect restorations are becoming increasingly popular as alternatives to amalgam restorations due to the proven reliability of the adhesive techniques involved. However, these adhesive techniques tend to complicate the luting procedure and challenge the knowledge and skills of the dentist. This article discusses some clinically relevant properties and handling characteristics of resin cements and lists the most important indications of the different types of resin cements: light-curing, auto-curing, and dual-curing. One should be aware that the effect of the auto-curing mechanism of dual-curing resin cements vary between brands and batches, and also depends on the storage conditions. It may be an idea to test the auto-curing capacity of one’s resin cement to avoid «under-curing». Being relatively thin, veneers allow passage of sufficient light from the light-curing unit for light-curing resin cements to be used. Indeed, the colour stability of these materials compared to the benzoyl peroxide containing dual- and auto-curing resin cements makes light-curing resin cements preferable for this indication. Dual-curing resin cements are used for other tooth-coloured restorations such as inlays, crowns, and bridges, and may also be used for resin-retained bridges and prefabricated posts. The light-curing mechanism provides fast positioning of the restoration and a reduced oxygen-inhibited layer. Auto-curing resin cements may be used for luting of metallic restorations with less than adequate retention, for recementation of old restorations with less than ideal accuracy and retention, for resin-retained bridges, and for prefabricated posts.