Dental cement has been used in dentistry for a very long time. Dental cement got its first use in the early 1900s. The first formulations of dental cement were relatively advanced by today's standards, and many of the formulas used in the early 1900s have only been slightly tweaked since then. Dental cement has many uses in dentistry. It can be used for attaching objects to the teeth, and it can even be shaped on a tooth to create a new surface for a tooth. The possibilities are endless! However, no tall dental cement is made the same. There are many different formulations all used for different purposes. Most cements require an oxide powder to be mixed with a liquid. When the two substances are combined, they create a thicker liquid that eventually hardens. Many dental cements use zinc as the base for the oxide powder and a phosphoric acid base for the liquid. Crowns And Dental Cement A dental crown is an object placed over a tooth to restore it back to its natural look. This is most commonly done when a tooth had been broken or suffered decay. The way a crown gets placed on a tooth is simple. First, we shave a thin layer around the tooth for the crown to go on top of. Once the tooth is shaved, we will make a mold of where the crown will be placed. We will then send the mold to a lab to make a custom crown. After the crown is made, we will install the crown by placing mixing a small amount of cement then placing it on the tooth. The crown will then be placed in your mouth and the dental cement will bond to the crown and your tooth making a strong hold. Please give our office a call if you have any questions about dental cement. We will be happy to tell you how we install crowns more in-depth.