[Attaching single- and multi-unit fixed dental prostheses]

A single- or multi-unit fixed dental prosthesis can be attached to the abutment teeth through mechanical retention and gap sealing or by adhesion. For sealing the gap, water-soluble cements are appropriate, such as zinc phosphate, polycarboxylate, and (resin-modified) glasionomer cement. Attachment through adhesion can be performed with composite cement. If the hard tooth tissue is prepared adequately, composite cement provides sufficient adhesion, but self-adhesive composite cement is now also available. For the adhesion of the composite cement to the restorative materials of the single- or multi-unit fixed dental prosthesis, surface sandblasting, silanizing, and tin coating and the application of a metal primer or chemically active composite are available. Cementing a single- or multi-unit dental prosthesis involves 3 phases: 1. Cleansing the single- or multi-unit dental prosthesis and the abutment tooth/teeth; 2. Preparing the hard tooth tissue, mixing the cement and placing the single- or multi-unit dental prosthesis; 3. Removing the excess cement.