Clinician's choices of restorative materials for children in Abha city, Saudi Arabia

Background: It has been observed that at times dentists find it difficult to decide on the technique and materials to use for restoration of deciduous and permanent teeth in children. Aims: To determine the choice of materials and techniques used by dentists for restoration of deciduous and permanent teeth in children. Materials & Methods: Fifty (50) dentists selected at random from the government and private clinics were questioned in Abha the largest city in southern Saudi Arabia using a 10 item questionnaire. Results; A total of 50 dentists were questioned for the study. 24 dentists cited Glass ionomer cement as the most frequently used restorative material in children. 27 dentists chose Silver amalgam and glass ionomer cement as the material of choice for restoration of posterior and anterior teeth respectively. Cavity shape and size for posterior and esthetics for anterior teeth were the major factors for selection of materials. In deciduous teeth Glass Ionomer cement was used by 19 respondents as restorative material for deep caries without pulp exposure and by 23 dentists for restoration of proximal caries. 24 dentists used pit and fissure sealants for restoration of non-cavitated incipient lesions in primary teeth. 29 dentists used Atraumatic Restorative Technique (ART) in their day to day practice. Conclusion: The study concluded that G.I.C was the material of choice for restoration of teeth in children followed by composite and amalgam. Atraumatic restoration technique (ART) is practiced by over half of dentists and it encourages patient compliance. Key Words: Dentists, Choice, Restoration, Children, Atraumatic Restoration Technique