Luting agent

A luting agent is an application of a dental cement. Luting agents connect an underlying tooth structure to a fixed prosthesis, hence giving rise to the term, luting agent, as they lute, or glue, two different structures together. There are two major purposes of luting agents in Dentistry – to secure a cast restoration in fixed prosthodontics (e.g. for use of retaining of an inlay, crowns, or bridges), and to keep orthodontic bands and appliances in situ.

In a complex restoration procedure, the selection of a luting agent is a critical stage, as it plays a key role in the long-term success of a restoration. Besides working as a retentive aid to prevent the fixed prosthesis from dislodging, it also plays the role of a seal, preventing bacteria from penetrating the tooth-restoration interface.

The oldest material available is the zinc phosphate cement, which has been used in dentistry for more than 100 years. Following the introduction of adhesive resin systems to the market, there is now a wide range of dental materials available that can serve as luting agents. As such, they each have their own advantages and disadvantages, and can each be employed in different scenarios. The choice of luting agent is also dependent on clinical factors, which includes the patient’s occlusion, design of tooth preparation, if adequate moisture control is achievable, type of core material, type of supporting tooth structure, tooth location etc. Much research has been carried out on the properties of each luting agent but at present, there is no single luting agent available which is ideal for use in all scenarios. 

There are many dental luting agents or lutes available in the market now. Some claimed that recently introduced agents such as resins and resin-modified glass-ionomer cement (RMGIC) performed better clinically, due to their improved properties. In fact, both conventional and contemporary luting agents have their advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately, the durability of restoration attached to the tooth surface using lutes depends on several factors, for instance strength of materials used, operator’s skills, tooth type and patient’s behaviour.

Dental lutes can be classified in many ways, some of which based on:

(i) user’s knowledge and experience of use

(ii) type of setting mechanism

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Wikipedia