The selection of contemporary restorative materials: anecdote vs. evidence-based?

The contemporary practitioner is faced with a bewildering number of options from which to choose when selecting restorative materials. There are not only many different types of materials available, but also numerous options for any given group of materials. For example, many manufacturers offer their customers three or even four different dentin bonding agents. The sheer number of available products is in itself overwhelming. When coupled with aggressive marketing strategies, misinformation supplied by paid clinicians at many seminars and lectures, and infomercials disguised as scientific articles in many of the trade journals, it is little wonder that the average ethical practitioner is frustrated when attempting to make rational choices. Clinicians use information gleaned from a variety of sources to make these difficult decisions. This article will attempt to evaluate the validity of these sources and will provide a philosophical matrix to assist the practitioner in making rational decisions relative to materials selection.