Trends and Concerns Regarding using Composites as Posterior Restorations and Techniques Employed to Minimize their Failure

Abstract

employed to minimize their failure.
 METHODOLOGY:
 A cross sectional descriptive was conducted in 150 dentists of Sharif College of Dentistry, SMDC, Lahore from June 2019 to July 2020 after obtaining ethical approval from Sharif Medical Research Centre (SMRC). Data was collected using a pre-validated questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS 23.
 RESULTS:
 There was no significant association between years of clinical experience and case selection (p=0.436). The association between reason for selection of composites as posterior restorations and clinical experience of dentists was also non-significant (p=0.105). Similar was the case with concerns regarding using composites and clinical experience (p=0.950). The association between years of clinical experience and techniques to minimize failure of composite restorations was also non-significant (p=0.936). 
 CONCLUSION:
 Majority of dentists with a clinical experience of less than 5 years as well as more than 5 years selected composites as posterior restorations only for small defects while the least chose them only when centric contacts were not involved. The major concern for dentists with clinical experience less than 5 years as well as more than 5 years was polymerization shrinkage of composites while the least were worried about wearing off of the restoration and difficulty in establishing contact points. In order to tackle these concerns the dentists reported in our study that they mostly used the techniques of incremental curing and moisture control procedures.