title: Survey of general dentists regarding posterior restorations, selection criteria, and associated clinical problems.
abstract: This survey was designed to provide insight concerning the materials that general dentists use for direct and indirect posterior restorations. A stratified random sample of dentists (n = 2,880) from the Academy of General Dentistry's membership list received a questionnaire that elicited information on the clinician's current use of amalgam, direct, and indirect composite materials; reasons for material selection; and reported complications with composite restorations. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics as well as t-test, Mann-Whitney, and chi square for group comparisons. A total of 714 dentists (26.3%) responded. Direct composite was the material used most commonly for posterior intracoronal restorations. Dentists in amalgam-free practices (31.6%) were significantly more likely (p = 0.001) to use direct composite than dentists whose practices used amalgam. Both groups weighed clinical decision factors and ranked perceived complications differently. Dentists in amalgam-free practices were less likely (p = 0.001) to consider caries rate, patient demand, and moisture control as important clinical decision factors and were more likely to report never experiencing complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Missouri-Kansas City, USA.
authors.forename: Reem
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haj-Ali
authors.forename: Mary P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D001641:Bicuspid; D003188:Composite Resins; D003657:Decision Making; D003710:Demography; D003723:Dental Amalgam; D003763:Dental Leakage / Q000209:etiology; D003776:Dental Porcelain; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D003807:Dentin Sensitivity / Q000209:etiology; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D006801:Humans; D007284:Inlays; D008963:Molar; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D003188:Composite Resins; D003776:Dental Porcelain; D003723:Dental Amalgam