Treatment method and restorative material preferences of dental practitioners

Abstract

Abstract Objective: The present study is aimed to investigate the preference profiles of treatment methods used by private dental practitioners in Ankara for deep carious lesions of mature permanent teeth. Methods: Private dental practitioners (general/specialist), in five districts of Ankara, were provided with a questionnaire comprising demographic characteristics and their preferred treatment methods for two simulated clinical cases related to deep caries excavation technique for anterior (Case A) and posterior, permanent teeth (Case B) with restorative material choices. The questionnaire was delivered personally to the participants who accepted the invitation. Documentation was retrieved back at another appointment after 1–3 weeks intervals. Data were analyzed using frequency analysis and Chi-square tests. Results: A total of 371 dentists, aged 25–69 years, took part in the study representing a response rate of 51.38%. Valid responses were 328 (168 males and 160 females) due to incomplete questionnaires. In Case A, complete caries excavation was the preferred treatment method (62.5%) followed by stepwise excavation (28.4%). Dentists, who had an excessive workload, indicated a stepwise excavation treatment significantly less than the dentists who had less workload (P = 0.001). In Case B, the preferences were narrowly distributed between complete caries excavation (50.9%) and stepwise excavation (42.4%). Composite restoration (31.7%) was more selected than amalgam (27.1%) with complete excavation technique. Workload has no effect on the treatment options of the posterior tooth with deep dentin caries. Conclusion: Dentists mostly adopted traditional caries removal technique. There is no uniform treatment method of deep carious lesions among dentists in anterior and, especially in posterior regions in Ankara, Turkey.