Objectives

To determine the reasons for placing and replacing restorations in a general dental practice amongst a group of patients.

Methods

This study used the method devised by Mjör and later modified by Burke and others. Instruction and data collection sheets were sent out to general dental practitioners (GDPs) for participation in a multicentre study. The GDPs were asked to record consecutively all restorations placed over a period of one month. The author is presenting his data collected over a period of six months using the same methodology. The author's results will be compared with a VDP study and the multicentre study.

Results

779 restorations were placed during the six months of the study. Three hundred and sixty-four (47%) were initial placements and 415 (53%) replacements. Primary fractured teeth totalled (16%) of the restorations. Other reasons for restoration placement were marginal fracture/degradation (31%), non-carious defects (13%) and both primary and secondary caries (9%). The proportion of glass-ionomer restorations increased with the age of the patient compared with amalgam and composites (chi-square: p<0.001), averaging 64% in age groups between 35 and 75 years, increasing to 88% in those patients over 75 years.

Conclusions

The principal reasons for placement and replacement of restorations in this study were repairs to tooth fractures. The proportion of amalgams and composites decreased with age while the proportion of glass ionomers increased.