Glass ionomer cements are traditional adhesives; they adhere to tooth tissue and metal with mild mechanical and weak chemical bonds. Their greatest advantage is their slow “fluoride release” to surrounding tissues for many years after bonding, which prevents new caries formation at the crown margin. Resin cements, on the other hand, are based on modern composite technology. They form a very strong organic bond to the tooth surface and porcelain with adhesive systems (via etching and bonding agents). While glass ionomer cements are more susceptible to leakage and less resistant to pressure, resin cements are completely waterproof, insoluble, and have exceptionally high mechanical resistance. While only resin cements are used in all-ceramic and laminate systems, both types of cement can be chosen for metal and zirconium systems depending on the case.
