Ease of use versus clinical effectiveness of restorative materials

Ease of use, as applied to dental materials and techiques, means different things to different people. Factors that may contribute to ease of use include a minimum number of application stages, easy application and shaping ability, quickness of use, lack of stick, and moisture sensitivity. Ease of use may also imply that a material or technique does not cause stress for the dentist and patient, is cost effective, is easy to learn, and should provide the operators with a sense of satisfaction with their work. Similarly, clinical effectiveness of the treatments prescribed for patients is not always capable of being accurately defined. Suggested factors that may contribute to clinical effectiveness include a lack of patient complaints with respect to longevity and/or cost, no secondary caries, and preservation of the remaining tooth structure during functional loading. Ease of use and clinical effectiveness are not necessarily related, but they must be combined for a technique to be successful. The achievement of this demands a partnership between clinicians, manufacturers, and patients.