Current and Emerging Trends in the Teaching of Direct Posterior Resin Composites in Indonesian Dental Schools: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the current and future teaching of posterior composite restorations in undergraduate curricula at dental schools in Indonesia.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A 23-item validated questionnaire including closed and open questions pertaining to the teaching of posterior composites was emailed to faculty members of all 38 dental schools in Indonesia. Responses were compiled on Excel and analysed.

RESULTS

The questionnaire response rate was 84%. All schools instructed placement of occlusal, and two, and three-surface occluso-proximal composite restorations in premolar and molar teeth. Nine dental schools (n=9; 28%) taught posterior composites first, whereas 13 schools (n=13; 41%) taught the use of dental amalgam first. Most dental schools (n=26; 81.25%) taught removal of residual caries, prior to placement of restorations. Most schools (n=10; 31%) taught rubber dam before the placement of composites. Students were taught use of clear matrix, sectional metal matrix systems (n=24; 75%), or use a circumferential metal system such as Tofflemire (n=20; 62%). Most institutions reported teaching Solventum composites (n=25; 78%). Twenty-eight dental schools (88%) taught the use of water cooling while finishing.

CONCLUSION

Instruction in posterior composite restorations is well-established and growing in Indonesian dental schools. Differences in the teaching between dental schools in Indonesia and the teaching in dental schools in other countries and regions of the world should be the subject of review. It is anticipated that the teaching and limited use of dental amalgam by students in Indonesian dental schools will continue to be phased down.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Aligning Indonesian dental curricula with global trends in posterior resin composite instruction ensures that future practitioners master modern, minimally invasive restorative techniques. Standardised instructional frameworks are necessary to maximise material selection, improve technique-sensitive placement, and provide high-quality, tooth-preserving direct restorations as dental amalgam is gradually phased down.