Objective: The aim of this study was to identify factors influencing the selection of restorative materials.
Methods: In 1992, a random sample of Finnish dentists working in the public and private health care sectors were asked to provide information on restorative treatments during a given period. The study material consisted of 9886 restorations placed by 855 dentists.
Results: The results indicate that private practitioners sought the opinions of their adult patients regarding the selection of restorative material more frequently (26% of restorative treatments) than their colleagues working in the public sector (11%; P < 0.001). The frequency of resin composite restorations increased and that of amalgam and glass ionomer restorations decreased when the patients' opinions were sought. Forty percent of restorations provided by public dentists and 69% of those completed by private practitioners were replacement restorations (P > 0.001). Secondary caries was the main reason for the replacement of amalgam restorations, whereas fractures of the teeth and restorations were the main reasons for the replacement of resin composite restorations.
Conclusion: The results indicate that patients' opinions have a strong influence on the selection of restorative materials. A large proportion of the restorative treatment studied comprised replacement restorations.