Resumo

TERADA, Raquel Sano Suga et al. Beyond the discourse of amalgam vs composite resin restorations. RGO, Rev. gaúch. odontol. (Online) [online]. 2014, vol.62, n.2, pp. 1-6. ISSN 1981-8637.

Objective To diagnose the prevalence of amalgam and resin composite restorations performed by professionals in public service and university students in a municipality in the Northeast of the State of Paraná. Methods Ten basic health units were randomly selected, at which 500 clinical record charts of patients of both sexes aged from 18 to 50 years were consulted. To analyze the prevalence of restorations performed by students, a questionnaire was applied to 4th and 5th year students, containing questions relative to the number of restorations and type of material using in intramural clinical activities. Results In the basic health units, 66% of restorations were performed with amalgam, and 34% with resin composite. At the dental school, 4th year students responded that when they were in the 3rd year, out of a total of 367 restorations, 21.5% were performed with amalgam and 78.5% with resin composite. For the 5th year group of students, the percentage of teeth restored with amalgam was 14.3%, 12.0% and10.2%, when they were in the 3rd, 4the and 5th years of the course, respectively. The results obtained revealed that the indication of the restoration material differed in the two scenarios. Conclusion In the basic health units, the majority of restorations were performed with amalgam, whereas at the dental school there was higher prevalence of resin composite restorations. One must reflect whether professional education has adequately developed the necessary competencies for decision making and meeting the needs of this population.

Palavras-chave : Dental amalgam; Prevalence; Resin composites; Unified Health System.