Clinical survey on type of restoration in deciduous teeth

This study was conducted in 533 children with 1,634 treated teeth who visited the Pediatric Dentistry Department at the Chiba Hospital of Tokyo Dental College between January and December, 2003. Restorations on deciduous tooth were categorized by age of patient and tooth type. The following observations were made: Children aged 4 (17.9%) visited the clinic most frequently and this group had the highest number of deciduous restorations (21.3%). Among the 1,634 deciduous teeth restored, metal inlays were provided in 29.4% of total teeth restored, composite resin restorations in 27.2%, stainless-steel crowns in 25.7%, composite resin full crowns in 7.7%, glass-ionomer cement restorations in 6.6%, and amalgam restorations in 3.4%. By age, composite resin was most frequently used in children aged 1 to 3. In children aged 5 to 9, metal inlay was most frequently used. Those aged 4 received mostly stainless-steel crowns. Composite resin restorations were used mostly in anterior deciduous teeth, and metal inlays mostly in deciduous molars. Previous research indicated an increasing trend towards composite resin restorations and composite resin full crowns. The present study also confirmed such a trend. While the use of metal inlays and stainless-steel crowns tended to increase until 1987, the present study indicated a trend to decrease.