Factores clínicos que influyen en la decisión del estudiante de odontología para reemplazar restauraciones directas colocadas anteriormente.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Deciding whether to repair or replace a defective direct composite resin restoration is not easy. Several factors must be evaluated, including clinical, patient-related, tooth-specific, and situational considerations. A poor choice can have consequences for the treated tooth. Unnecessarily replacing a restoration can lead to progressive loss of healthy tooth structure, among other complications. OBJECTIVE: To determine the most frequent clinical decision and the factors associated with the choice to repair or replace defective direct composite resin restorations among Dentistry students at the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil during the B-2025 academic period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quantitative, cross-sectional, and observational descriptive study was conducted with 117 eighth-, ninth-, and tenth-semester students. A questionnaire was used to assess attitudes, influencing factors, and clinical decisions related to repair or replacement. RESULTS: 65.8% of students preferred to replace the defective restoration, while 34.2% opted for repair, with no significant difference between semesters (p = 0.557). High caries risk (37.6%) was one of the main factors influencing the decision to replace, followed by poor oral hygiene (22.2%). 50.4% of students reported that a lack of knowledge about appropriate surface treatment influenced their decision not to repair the restorations. CONCLUSION: Replacement was the predominant option among students in the tenth and eighth semesters. Factors such as caries risk, the age of the restoration, and the prosthetic function of the tooth influenced the clinical decision.