Purpose: To elucidate how dentists access knowledge sources when choosing adhesive agents for bonded restoration and whether these resources influenced the selection of materials.
Materials and methods: A national survey was carried out involving dentists in South Korea. The questionnaire included the status of the operator, clinical techniques, and materials. A total of 12,193 e-mails were distributed, 2632 were opened by recipients, and 840 responses were collected.
Results: For primary information resources in material selection, 55.8% (n = 469) of the responders mentioned continuing education. This selection criteria varied according to the working status of the clinician (p < 0.0001). The choice of bonding system was influenced by of the length of the career (p < 0.0001), and the preferred bonding systems differed according to the source of the information (p = 0.035).
Conclusion: The popular bonding systems were not ranked according to the bonding strategy, but a preference was found for specific brands or manufacturers. To decrease the confusion of clinicians related to the selection of bonding materials, evidence-based guidelines need to be comprehensibly organized and efficiently approached in clinics.