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Association between caries location and restorative material treatment provided
Erinne B Lubisich1, Thomas J Hilton, Jack L Ferracane
1School of Dentistry, Oregon Health Science University, 611 SW Campus Drive, Portland, OR 97239, USA. lubisice@ohsu.edu
Journal of Dentistry
|January 25, 2011
Summary
Dental restoration material choice, like amalgam or composite, depends on the tooth
Area of Science:
- Dental Public Health
- Restorative Dentistry
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Dental caries remains a prevalent oral health issue.
- Understanding treatment patterns is crucial for effective dental practice management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate the location of diagnosed dental caries with the type of restorative treatment provided.
- To identify factors influencing the selection of restorative materials in dental practices.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 1943 patients across 101 dental practices in the Northwest PRECEDENT network.
- Oral health surveys assessed caries location and treatment provided within the past 12 months.
- Generalized estimating equations (GEE) regression analysis was used to determine associations, adjusting for patient and practice characteristics.
Main Results:
- Over half of patients (55.4%) had recent caries; 42.8% received treatment.
- Composite (72%) was more common than amalgam (18%) for permanent tooth restorations.
- Restoration material choice significantly depended on tooth type (molars vs. bicuspids) and specific surfaces treated (occlusal, mesial, distal).
Conclusions:
- The selection of restorative materials for dental caries is influenced by the location of the decay on the tooth.
- Practitioner gender was also found to be a factor in restorative material choice.