CLINICAL PERFORMANCE OF RESIN COMPOSITE RESTORATIONS IN POSTERIOR TEETH: A REVIEW

Resin composites are the first choice for direct restoration of posterior teeth in the treatment of dental caries. This article reviews factors that influence the clinical performance of composite restorations and the results of clinical trials assessing longevity of posterior resin composite restorations. Materials and method. PubMed, and Web of Science electronic databases were searched for articles investigating the clinical performance of direct resin composite restorations placed in posterior teeth. Results and discussions. Factors with significant influence on longevity of posterior composite restorations include patient-related factors (age, carious risk, periodontal disease, bruxism), dental group, cavity size and volume, cervical margin extension, root-filled teeth, oclusal stress. Conclusions. Dental resin composites are material of choice for use in direct minimal interventions in posterior teeth. For patients without bruxism, in medium size cavities, direct composite resins demonstrate similar clinical performance with amalgam restorations. The clinical performance of restorations depends on a number of factors including variables related to the restored tooth, the materials and techniques employed, the patient’s risks, and professional clinical decisions.