Dentists' perspective on restorative treatment practices

Objective: Restorative treatments performed by dentists, preventive practices, and systematic evaluation of collected data play a decisive role in providing and reorganizing oral and dental health services when necessary. These elements improve the quality of clinical treatment processes and the long-term efficiency of services, forming one of the main pillars of undergraduate education. Additionally, statistical data obtained from dentists informs them of their position in relation to current treatment methods and technological developments. Therefore, a questionnaire was prepared to obtain the perspectives of practicing dentists in Turkey on restorative treatments. Method: The 27-question questionnaire had two sections. The first part included questions about the dentists' demographic characteristics, and the second part included questions about the materials they use during restorative treatments, the treatments they perform, preventive applications, restorative dentistry courses, and patient motivation. The Pearson Chi-Square Test was applied to analyze the data, and the results were presented as frequencies (n) and percentages (%). The statistical significance level was set at p<0,05. Results: The survey included 421 participants: 174 males and 247 females. Categorical comparisons took into consideration age, gender, professional experience, and the institutions where the physicians worked. New graduates and young physicians were more likely to participate in the survey and preferred preventive applications and universal adhesives (p<0,001). Female physicians were more likely to practice tooth bleaching (p<0,001). Current restorative treatments and materials were generally preferred in private offices and clinics. Conclusion: Modern techniques and methods must be disseminated among dentists. In this regard, dentists should receive support in the form of training programs, promotions, and courses on restorative treatment during their undergraduate education and after graduation. There should be a particular focus on raising awareness of advanced restoration techniques and digital smile design. Keywords: survey, dentistry, restorative dental treatment