A self etching, dental cement composition is provided having the advantage of not requiring a separate etching and bonding step. The cement composition comprises a polymerizable (meth)acrylate trimellitic acid/anhydride, a phosphoric acid (meth)acrylate, a hydroxyalkyl(meth)acrylate, copolymerizable multi-functional (meth)acrylate monomers, a diluent, fillers, and a curing system. These cement compositions are prepared as a two-paste system that is combined prior to use.