Abstract
Background and aims. Retreatment of existing restorations not only requires a lot of money and time
but also there is a danger of weakening tooth structure and irritating the pulp. Since awareness of the
reasons for the retreatment of teeth will save the teeth from possible future failure, the aim of this study
was to assess the reasons for retreatment of amalgam and composite restorations in patients referring to
Tabriz Faculty of Dentistry.
Materials and methods. In this descriptive study, the subjects had previously received an amalgam or
a composite restoration in the Operative Department by dental students and were judged to need
retreatment in their second visit. A total of 300 defective teeth were selected by simple random sampling
method. The data was collected through examination and questionnaires and analyzed using chi-square
test.
Results. There was a statistically significant association between the type of the restorative material and
the reason for retreatment (p=0.001).
Conclusion. Although the reasons for the retreatment of amalgam and composite restorations were
different, recurrent caries was the main reason for the retreatment for both restorative materials.