A method to increase the cement retention of a metal dental coping to the structure of a tooth in the preparation of a crown or bridge. The method includes forming a liquid composition of high and low fusing temperature metal particles with at least 50% of the high fusing metal particles having a thin cross-sectional average thickness of less than 5 microns and coating the interior surfaces of the metal coping with the liquid composition to form a thin coating of no greater than 20 microns before the coping is mounted on the tooth structure. The thin coating of liquid composition should then be heat treated at a temperature of between 750.degree. C. and 1050.degree. C. to permit the low-fusing temperature metal particles to fuse but not entirely melt. Following heat treatment a dental cement should be applied to the tooth structure or coping in a conventional manner. Thereafter, the coping is mounted on the tooth structure with the heat treated coating in contact with the dental cement to improve retention.