Zinc Polycarboxylate cement was the First cement that was developed with the property of an adhesive bond to tooth structure along with some metallic cast restorations.
Polycarboxylate cement is used as a luting agent for cementing restorations and as a cavity lining. Dental cements are hard, brittle materials formed by mixing powder and liquid together. They are either resin cements or acid-base cements. In the latter the powder is a basic metal oxide or silicate and the liquid is acidic.