Evaluation of the performance and problems of general dentists during and after the placement of composite in the posterior teeth in Kerman, Iran, 2016

BACKGROUND AND AIM : Nowadays, resin composites are the preferred material for direct posterior restorations . The present study was conducted to assess the performance and problems of general dental practitioners during and after posterior direct composite restorations in Kerman, Iran. METHODS : 160 general dentists (63% men and 37% women) participated in this analytic-descriptive study. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 13 close-ended questions about the performance and problems of dentists associated with composite restorations in Kerman, in 2016. Data were analyzed by chi square and t-test using SPSS software. RESULTS : The most frequent complaint of patients after composite restorations was food impaction (45.0%), and the most clinicians' problems during composite restorations were achieving tight proximal contact (59.3%) and proper isolation (59.3%). Most of the dentists used traditional metal matrix systems (70.0%), wet polishing technique (81.2%), light-emitting diode (LED) light curing unit (62.5%), packable composites (51.2%) with incremental technique (83.1%), and two-step total etch bonding (70.0%). The main criteria for selecting composite as restorative material was patient request (55.0%), and most of the dentists preferred to restore the small or moderate class I cavities (67.5%), and after it, class V cavities (57.5%) with composite. Moreover, secondary caries (58.1%) was the most common reason for replacement of composite restorations; and in all questions, there were statistically significant differences between the most prevalent answer and the other answers (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION : The most frequent problems of dentists (achieving proper contact) and the most frequent complaints of patients (food impaction) are related to the use of traditional metal matrix systems.