12-year survival of composite vs. amalgam restorations

Information about the long-term clinical survival of large amalgam and composite restorations is still lacking. this retrospective study compares the longevity of three- and four-/five-surface amalgam and composite restorations relative to patients' caries risk. patient records from a general practice were used for data collection. we evaluated 1949 large class ii restorations (1202 amalgam/747 composite). dates of placement,replacement,and failure were recorded,and caries risk of patients was assessed. survival was calculated from kaplan-meier statistics. after 12 years,293 amalgam and 114 composite restorations had failed. large composite restorations showed a higher survival in the combined population and in the low-risk group. for three-surface restorations in high-risk patients,amalgam showed better survival. © 2010 international & american associations for dental research.