Recommendations about the repair of dental amalgam restorations

Abstract

Introduction: The repair of amalgam restorations, the materials used, the tooth sides preferred to perform them, and the controversy with the replacement option, are all topics deserving the attention of researchers with a view to achieving accurate definitions and protocols. Objective: Systematize the recommendations available in the literature about the repair of amalgam restorations. Methods: A qualitative review was carried out. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established for the selection of papers. The search was conducted in Scopus and Pubmed. Papers not related to the research problem at hand were the first to be discarded. Then those not meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. An evaluation was performed of the quality and validity of the remaining papers, and finally their full texts and abstracts were read to retrieve the data required to complete the database of the study. The 27 papers thus obtained were sifted in an Excel database, which was then exported to the SPSS software for statistical processing. Results: 44.4% and 55.6% of the papers recommend to repair restorations with amalgam and composite resin, respectively. Almost half (48.1%) do not state any preference for a specific tooth side to perform the repair. 44.4% recommend the treatment. Conclusions: It is advisable to perform repairs of amalgam restorations with dental amalgam and with composite resin. It is not clearly defined which tooth side is preferred to undergo the repair. This treatment may be part of the therapeutic arsenal of dentists.