381 - Acceptability of Amalgam Restorations by US Pediatric Dentists

Purpose: The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to: 1) Assess how many pediatric dentists in the United States currently utilize amalgam in their practice; 2) Correlate use of amalgam with practitioner attributes such as years of experience, location and type of practice; and 3) Assess why some dentists do not utilize amalgam in their practice and the challenges they face in placing amalgam restorations.

Methods: A 16 item questionnaire was sent via email to all active members and post-doctoral student members of American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) assessing participants’ demographic factors, frequency of use of amalgam restorations in their practice, attitudes on the use of amalgam restorations, and challenges in using amalgam restorations. The survey was hosted by Survey Monkey. The questionnaire consists of questions related to demographic factors, frequency of amalgam usage, and the challenges faced in the usage of amalgam. Once data collection is complete, frequency and descriptive statistical analyses will be conducted for all study variables.

Results: 70 responses were received. Majority were residents and practitioners with less than 5 years of experience. Majority of the respondents work in private practice or corporate setting and most of them are from Northeast region.

Conclusion: A majority of current pediatric dentists do not place amalgam restorations. Providers reported parental concern about esthetics as the biggest challenge in using amalgam. University-based residency programs may give more training in placing amalgam restorations as compared to hospital-based or hybrid university and hospital-based programs.Amalgam is used least frequently in private practice/corporate settings, PPO or self-pay offices, and in suburban locations. Amalgam is used least frequently in southwest and western states.