Bonding System Choice and Practices among Senior Dental Students

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Restorative Dentistry

Background:

• Understanding current practices in dental bonding and composite application is crucial for effective restorative treatments.
• Assessing the knowledge and application of these techniques among future dental professionals is essential for quality patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the preferred bonding system types and composite application rationale among senior dental students.
• To identify any discrepancies between theoretical knowledge and practical application of dental restorative techniques.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire survey was distributed to 83 final-year dental students in Saudi Arabia.
• Data on the use of etch and rinse vs. self-etch adhesives and composite application techniques were collected and statistically analyzed.

Main Results:

• Gender did not significantly impact student responses (P > 0.05).
• A majority of students favored etch and rinse adhesives and demonstrated common mispractices, including infrequent selective etching and improper bonding agent application and curing.

Conclusions:

• Dental students possess good foundational knowledge but exhibit specific mispractices in bonding and composite application, such as inadequate rinsing and vertical layering.
• Findings highlight the need for curriculum refinement to improve restorative dentistry education and clinical practice.