Evaluation of restoration thresholds and restorative material selections in primary and young permanent teeth of dentists in turkey

Aim: The aim of the study is to evaluate restorative treatment decisions taken by dentists in management of caries in primary and permanent molars in children and to investigate which demographic characteristics the decisions taken were related to. Materials and Methods: Questionnaire were created in accordance with dentistry education in our country, terminology used and current treatment approaches. Survey questions were prepared under 3 main headings; demographic questions, questions about daily treatment routines, and multiple choice questions prepared with clinical case examples. Based on the prepared cases, the participants were asked to choose the occlusal and interface lesions to recommend restorative treatment in the treatment of primary and permanent molars. They also chose the preparatory technique and restorative material they would use to treat the lesion they chose to restore. Results: The number of participants who participated in the survey and whose answers were evaluated was 345. 69.3% of the participants were female and 30.7% were male. Of the participants, 47.8% were general dentists, 26.7% were pedodontists, 8.1% were restorative dentistry specialists, and 17.4% were students at 5th class. In interface lesions of young permanent teeth; 20.2% of the participants chose grades 1 and 2 as thresholds. 65% of all participants preferred the box preparation method. In occlusal lesions of permanent teeth; Grade 4 was the most preferred cutoff and the most conservative preparation was chosen. In primary teeth, the decision to intervene in enamel-level lesions was 4 times higher in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group. In primary tooth interface lesions; the most preferred threshold value was Grade 3. Composite materials were most preferred in permanent teeth and compomer materials were preferred most in primary teeth. Conclusion: Based on the survey study, it was concluded that dentists in Turkey have a high tendency to intervene early. Factors such as the risk group of the individual, the physician's age, professional year, education, and field of expertise are effective factors in caries management.