The influence of restorative material on the survival rate of restorations in primary molars.

The survival rates of restorations in primary molars were calculated after a retrospective examination of patients' dental records from a study population of 1,065 children. A random sample of 128 records showing information for 604 dental restorations was examined, coded, and analyzed by the life table method of survival analysis. The order of the survival rate of restorations from higher to lower success was preformed crowns, amalgam, composite resin, and glass ionomer restorations. A highly statistically significant difference (P = 0.0001) was found among the survival success rates of different material restorations. For preformed crowns and amalgam restorations, the median survival time was more than 5 years. The 5-year survival estimate for preformed crowns was 68% and for amalgam restorations was 60%. For composite resin the median survival time was 32 months and the 4-year survival estimate was 40%. For glass ionomer restorations, the median survival time was 12 months and the 4-year survival estimate was 5%.