Evaluation of the performance and problems of general dentists during and after the placement of composite in the posterior teeth in Kerman, Iran, 2016

BACKGROUND and AIM: Nowadays, resin composites are the preferred material for direct posterior restorations. The present study was conducted to assess the performance and problems of general dental practitioners during and after posterior direct composite restorations in Kerman, Iran. METHODS: 160 general dentists (63% men and 37% women) participated in this analytic-descriptive study. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 13 close-ended questions about the performance and problems of dentists associated with composite restorations in Kerman, in 2016. Data were analyzed by chi square and t-test using SPSS software. RESULTS: The most frequent complaint of patients after composite restorations was food impaction (45.0%), and the most clinicians' problems during composite restorations were achieving tight proximal contact (59.3%) and proper isolation (59.3%). Most of the dentists used traditional metal matrix systems (70.0%), wet polishing technique (81.2%), light-emitting diode (LED) light curing unit (62.5%), packable composites (51.2%) with incremental technique (83.1%), and two-step total etch bonding (70.0%). The main criteria for selecting composite as restorative material was patient request (55.0%), and most of the dentists preferred to restore the small or moderate class I cavities (67.5%), and after it, class V cavities (57.5%) with composite. Moreover, secondary caries (58.1%) was the most common reason for replacement of composite restorations; and in all questions, there were statistically significant differences between the most prevalent answer and the other answers (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The most frequent problems of dentists (achieving proper contact) and the most frequent complaints of patients (food impaction) are related to the use of traditional metal matrix systems.