Incidence of restoration failure and its etiology: A retrospective study

Restorative dentistry plays a critical role in maintaining oral health, function, and esthetics by repairing damaged or decayed teeth. Restoration failures can arise from several factors, such as material degradation, improper technique, patient-specific oral conditions.

The present study aimed to evaluate the incidence of restoration failure among different permanent restorative materials and to analyze the causes of restoration failure.

Four-hundred patients were examined for restoration failure over a time period of 19 months, reported at the outpatient section of the department of conservative dentistry and endodontics. A self-structured pro forma was designed, and each patient was given a code number. The details about the patient and causes of failure of permanent restorations were obtained by using a questionnaire which included information on patient's oral hygiene habits and history of restoration placement.

Data obtained were statistically analyzed by the Chi-square test.

Statistically significant differences (P < 0.0001) were found in the case of age groups, reason of replacement, and the class of restoration. The main cause of the failure was secondary caries, followed by microleakage and bond failure. Composite was the most commonly replaced restorative material, and mandibular molar teeth showed maximum failures. It also indicated that replacements were more prevalent in males.