Information Resources and Material Selection in Bonded Restorations Among Korean Dentists

Purpose: To elucidate how dentists access knowledge sources when choosing adhesive agents for bonded restoration and whether these resources influenced the selection of materials. Materials and Methods: A national survey was carried out involving dentists in South Korea. The questionnaire included the status of the operator, clinical techniques, and materials. A total of 12,193 e-mails were distributed, 2632 were opened by recipients, and 840 responses were collected. Results: For primary information resources in material selection, 55.8% (n = 469) of the responders mentioned continuing education. This selection criteria varied according to the working status of the clinician (p 0.0001). The choice of bonding system was influenced by of the length of the career (p 0.0001), and the preferred bonding systems differed according to the source of the information (p = 0.035). Conclusion: The popular bonding systems were not ranked according to the bonding strategy, but a preference was found for specific brands or manufacturers. To decrease the confusion of clinicians related to the selection of bonding materials, evidence-based guidelines need to be comprehensibly organized and efficiently approached in clinics. Keywords: adhesive dentistry, bonding, questionnaire, selection, information, evidence