Evaluation of Composite Resin Restorations in First Molar Teeth of Patients Attending a Faculty of Dentistry According to FDI Criteria

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical quality of existing composite resin restorations in first molar teeth of patients attending a Faculty of Dentistry according to the FDI criteria.

Methods: A total of 150 existing composite resin restorations in permanent first molars of patients attending the Faculty of Dentistry at Lokman Hekim University were included in this study. Information regarding the operators who originally placed the restorations was not available. The restorations were evaluated according to the FDI evaluation system using a total of 15 subcriteria grouped into three main categories: esthetic, functional, and biological. FDI scores of 1–3 were classified as clinically acceptable, whereas scores of 4–5 were classified as clinically unacceptable. Data were analyzed using non-parametric statistical tests, and the level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05.

Results: The highest clinical success rates were observed for adjacent mucosa (98.0%), marginal adaptation (88.7%), and percussion (88.7%). In contrast, the highest rates of clinical failure were observed for esthetic anatomical form (38.0%), postoperative sensitivity and tooth vitality (36.7%), and patient satisfaction (34.7%). Among the main FDI categories, biological criteria demonstrated the highest rate of clinically acceptable scores (83.3%), followed by functional (82.1%) and esthetic criteria (73.2%). Age had a significant effect on esthetic scores (p=0.005) and total scores (p=0.027), while smoking status (p=0.039) and tooth location (p=0.002) significantly influenced biological scores. In contrast, sex had no significant effect on esthetic, functional, biological, or total scores (all p>0.05).

Conclusions: Existing composite resin restorations in first molars demonstrated generally high clinical acceptability according to the FDI criteria.