This document defines and compares terms related to bonding dental materials:
- Luting refers to filling spaces with a moldable substance like cement or clay. Luting agents cement indirect restorations to teeth.
- Adhesion is the physical attraction between molecules that causes surfaces in contact to remain joined. Adhesives are materials that bond items together.
- Bonding chemically links neighboring atoms in a molecule. Dental bonding uses resin materials cured with light to improve tooth appearance.
- Cementation is the process of attaching parts using cement, such as cementing a restoration to natural teeth.