A method of attaching a dental article to the surface of a tooth includes providing the dental article and applying a coating including upconversion phosphors to a surface of the dental article. The method also includes applying a dental cement composition to the surface of the tooth and placing the dental article on the surface of the tooth such that the coating is adjacent the dental cement composition. The dental cement composition includes a polymerizable resin and a photoinitiator and is substantially free of upconversion phosphors. The method further includes irradiating the coating with a radiation source that emits radiation at a pre-determined fixed wavelength that causes the upconversion phosphors to emit radiation at an activation wavelength of the dental cement composition photoinitiator such that the dental cement composition cures in a region adjacent the coating and removing remaining uncured dental cement composition outside the dental article from the tooth.