Comparison of the Long Term Clinical Performance of Repaired Resin-Based Composite Dental Restorations with Replaced Ones: A Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials

Objectives: When a partial restoration of composite resin fails, dentists have the option of replacing the entire restoration or repairing the specific area of concern. The objective of this study was to combine studies comparing the clinical performance of repaired dental composites with replaced ones using a meta-analytic method.
Material and Methods: Researchers screened multiple databases in 2023, focusing on Marginal Adaptation, Anatomy, Secondary Caries, and Colour. Alpha scores based on United States Public Health Service criteria were considered, and Odds ratios with 95% CI were used for comparison. A meta analysis software Cochrane's RevMan 5.4.1 (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark) was utilized for data analysis.
Results: After assessing various clinical studies, two were found to meet the eligibility criteria and were included in the analysis. Both studies were deemed to have a high risk of bias. The findings did not reveal any significant differences between the groups that underwent repair versus replacement in terms of marginal adaptation (OR=0.50, 95% CI: 0.06, 3.96; p=0.51), anatomy (OR=0.69, 95% CI: 0.28, 1.68; p=0.42), and secondary caries (OR=0.47, 95% CI: 0.09, 2.54; p=0.38). However, the replacement group exhibited a higher OR when it came to colour (OR=0.19, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.65; p=0.008).
Conclusion: Repairing or replacing dental composites has similar outcomes regarding marginal adaptation, secondary caries, and anatomy, but replacement results in better colour stability during long-term evaluations. However, more research is needed to fully understand the advantages of both procedures due to limitations in the study.