Prevalence of Overhang Interproximal Amalgam Restorations

Periodontal structures are vital tissues that could be affected by the surrounding environment. Dental materials and/or restorations may trigger negative response such as gingival inflammation and bone loss from periodontal tissues. The objective of this study was to report the prevalence of overhang interproximal amalgam restorations by undergraduate students at College of Dentistry, King Saud University. Thirty five (35) male patients aged between 18 43 years were randomly selected for the study. Posterior bitewing radiographs were taken, and 966 proximal surfaces were examined. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. Chi square test was utilized to assess the relationship between the location and the surface of the overhang. It was found that out of 206 surfaces restored with amalgam, 34% were over-hanged. Among the overhanging amalgam restorations, 72.9% were in maxillary posterior teeth and 27.1% in mandibular posterior teeth. Out of the overhanging amalgam surfaces, 57.1% were mesial and 42.9% distal surfaces. There was no significant (P>0.05) difference in the prevalence of overhanging amalgam restorations between molars (52.9%) and premolars (47.1%). This study has clearly identified a high prevalence of overhanging interproximal margins in amalgam restorations.