Pediatric Dentists' Treatment Planning Decisions for Class II Carious Lesions in Primary Molars.

Purpose: To assess pediatric dentists' choice for restoring Class II carious lesions in primary molars.

Methods: A survey with eight cases of class II carious lesions was emailed to American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry members, who were asked to choose either a stainless steel crown (SSC) or composite resin as a final restoration, or no treatment. Treatment decisions were compared to evidence-based treatment recommendations. Repeated measures logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with treatment decisions.

Results: The response rate was 11 percent (n=729). Approximately two-thirds of responses aligned with current evidence-based treatment. Both patient and provider characteristics were associated with the treatment plan. Clinically detectable caries and those restored under general anesthesia were treated more often with an SSC. Faculty and residents, along with providers with less than 10 years' experience, chose an SSC more often.

Conclusions: Due to the multifactorial nature of treatment planning for the pediatric dental patient, more evidence-based research is needed to unify treatment planning modalities and increase evidence-based treatment.