Finishing and Polishing of Composite Restoration: Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Among Various Dental Professionals in India

Aim The key to the success of a composite restoration lies in the important final step of finishing and polishing. This survey aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice about finishing and polishing in composite restoration among various dental professionals in India. Materials and methods A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among various dental professionals in India. The participation of dentists was voluntary. A total of 350 responses were received, and the data were converted to Microsoft Excel 2019 program and descriptive statistics were analyzed using SPSS Version 21.0 software. Results Almost 99% of respondents know the importance of finishing and polishing procedures of composite restoration. Overall, 71% of respondents felt it is necessary to remove the surface layer to improve the surface characteristics of the composite restoration, 59.8% of professionals follow the sequential order of abrasives for finishing and polishing of composites, 74.2% use interproximal strips to finish interproximal areas of restoration, and 55.8% of professionals use polishing paste for the final polishing of composite restoration. Only 44.2% are aware of liquid polish/composite glaze, among which 12.4% of practitioners use liquid polish often. Conclusion Most of the respondents were aware of the benefits of proper finishing and polishing of composite restorations. However, still they need to follow proper sequential series of burs, abrasive points, disks, strips, and polishing pastes. The usage of surface sealants should be emphasized for enhanced results.