French dentists' restorative treatment decisions.
OBJECTIVE
Variations in decision-making about restorative treatments have been demonstrated among dentists in several countries. This study sought to assess the restorative treatment philosophies based on a representative sample of French dentists.


METHODS
A sample (n = 2000) was randomly extracted from a national list (n = 42,000). Each dentist received a questionnaire, illustrations of carious conditions, and a reply-paid envelope. The questionnaire assessed the stage of lesion progression at which the respondents considered restorative treatment appropriate, their choice of restorative technique and dental material. For all questions, an imaginary 20-year-old patient with low caries activity was described.


RESULTS
After one reminder, the response rate was 40%. Almost half of the respondents would restore an occlusal lesion confined to enamel and 88% would have prepared a cavity for a proximal lesion at the amelo-dentinal junction. The majority of the respondents would not use the Black concepts for cavity preparation. Their preferred restorative material was composite.


CONCLUSIONS
Answers indicated a tendency towards early restorative intervention and showed large variations between the treatment decisions of French dentists.
Doméjean-Orliaguet
Sophie
S
Department of Operative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France. sophie.orliaguet@u-clermont1.fr
Tubert-Jeannin
Stéphanie
S
Riordan
Paul J
PJ
Espelid
Ivar
I
Tveit
Anne B
AB
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003188:Composite Resins; D003657:Decision Making; D003723:Dental Amalgam; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000145:classification / Q000628:therapy; D003737:Dental Cavity Preparation / Q000145:classification / Q000379:methods; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000473:pathology; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000145:classification; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000379:methods; D003804:Dentin / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010685:Philosophy, Dental; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D019279:Resin Cements; D012737:Sex Factors
D003188:Composite Resins; D003764:Dental Materials; D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements; D019279:Resin Cements; D003723:Dental Amalgam