Abstract

Background: Finishing and polishing composite restorations is a critical clinical procedure to improve their esthetics and longevity by achieving smooth and glossy surfaces. Moreover, surface roughness in dental restorations is still a significant issue related to the use of direct composite resins, which can be linked to discoloration, secondary caries, and gingival inflammation. Thus, the goal of this study is to assess the level of knowledge and clinical practices of dental students at Umm Al-Qura University regarding the importance of performing finishing and polishing procedures on composite restorations.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was prepared and distributed to the dental students using an online self-administered questionnaire. The data were imported and analyzed using SPSS v. 20, and a Chi-square test was performed; a p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The majority of the students (94.2%) reported that color stability is associated directly with the type of composite and is influenced by polishing and finishing the final restoration (90.5%). The participants believed that it is not mandatory to use polishing paste (76.6%) or surface sealant (73.7%). More than 90% of the students indicated that a polished restoration plays a vital role in its esthetics and longevity and the maintenance of oral health.
Conclusion: The students’ knowledge at Umm Al-Qura University was acceptable and reflected in their attitude toward performing the finishing and polishing procedure on composite resin restorations.

Keywords

Composite restoration, Dental composites, Dental resin composites, Color restoration, Dental students.

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