Practitioner, patient and carious lesion characteristics associated with type of restorative material: findings from The Dental Practice-Based Research Network

TY - JOUR

T1 - Practitioner, patient and carious lesion characteristics associated with type of restorative material

T2 - findings from The Dental Practice-Based Research Network

AU - Makhija, Sonia K

AU - Gordan, Valeria V

AU - Gilbert, Gregg H

AU - Litaker, Mark S

AU - Rindal, D Brad

AU - Pihlstrom, Daniel J

AU - Qvist, Vibeke

AU - Dental Practice-Based Research Network Collaborative Group

PY - 2011/6

Y1 - 2011/6

N2 - Background: The authors conducted a study to identify factors associated with the materials that dentists in The Dental Practice-Based Research Network (DPBRN) use when placing the first restoration on permanent posterior tooth surfaces. Methods: A total of 182 DPBRN practitioner-investigators provided data regarding 5,599 posterior teeth with caries. Practitionerinvestigators completed an enrollment questionnaire that included the dentist's age, sex, practice workload, practice type and number of years since graduation. When patients who had provided informed consent to participate in the investigation sought treatment for a previously unrestored carious surface, the practitionerinvestigator recorded patient and tooth characteristics. Results: Practitioner-investigators used amalgam more often than they used direct resin-based composite (RBC) for posterior carious lesions. Practitioner and practice characteristics (years since graduation and type of practice); patient characteristics (sex, race, age and dental insurance status); and lesion characteristics (tooth location and surface, preoperative and postoperative lesion depth) were associated with the type of restorative material used. Conclusions: Several practitioner and practice, patient and lesion characteristics were associated significantly with use of amalgam and RBC: geographical region, years since dentist's graduation, patient's dental insurance status, tooth location and surface, and preoperative and postoperative lesion depth. Clinical Implications: Despite advances in esthetic dentistry, U.S. dentists still are placing amalgam on posterior teeth with carious lesions. Amalgam was used more often than RBC in older patients, who may have had deeper carious lesions.

AB - Background: The authors conducted a study to identify factors associated with the materials that dentists in The Dental Practice-Based Research Network (DPBRN) use when placing the first restoration on permanent posterior tooth surfaces. Methods: A total of 182 DPBRN practitioner-investigators provided data regarding 5,599 posterior teeth with caries. Practitionerinvestigators completed an enrollment questionnaire that included the dentist's age, sex, practice workload, practice type and number of years since graduation. When patients who had provided informed consent to participate in the investigation sought treatment for a previously unrestored carious surface, the practitionerinvestigator recorded patient and tooth characteristics. Results: Practitioner-investigators used amalgam more often than they used direct resin-based composite (RBC) for posterior carious lesions. Practitioner and practice characteristics (years since graduation and type of practice); patient characteristics (sex, race, age and dental insurance status); and lesion characteristics (tooth location and surface, preoperative and postoperative lesion depth) were associated with the type of restorative material used. Conclusions: Several practitioner and practice, patient and lesion characteristics were associated significantly with use of amalgam and RBC: geographical region, years since dentist's graduation, patient's dental insurance status, tooth location and surface, and preoperative and postoperative lesion depth. Clinical Implications: Despite advances in esthetic dentistry, U.S. dentists still are placing amalgam on posterior teeth with carious lesions. Amalgam was used more often than RBC in older patients, who may have had deeper carious lesions.

KW - Adult

KW - African Americans

KW - Age Factors

KW - Bicuspid

KW - Community-Based Participatory Research

KW - Composite Resins

KW - Cross-Sectional Studies

KW - Dental Amalgam

KW - Dental Caries

KW - Dental Enamel

KW - Dental Materials

KW - Dental Restoration, Permanent

KW - Dentin

KW - Dentist's Practice Patterns

KW - European Continental Ancestry Group

KW - Female

KW - Hispanic Americans

KW - Humans

KW - Insurance, Dental

KW - Male

KW - Molar

KW - Professional Practice

KW - Scandinavia

KW - Sex Factors

KW - United States

KW - Workload

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 21628683

SN - 0002-8177

VL - 142

SP - 622

EP - 632

JO - Journal of the American Dental Association

JF - Journal of the American Dental Association

IS - 6

ER -