This study aimed to report the reasons for replacement of direct composite resin restorations in dental practices in Brazil. The study used a convenience sample of 213 dentists. A questionnaire was developed from previously validated instruments and sent electronically to prospective participants. The questions pertained to professional characteristics; criteria most frequently used in determining whether a direct composite resin restoration warranted replacement; and respondents' choice of treatment options (maintain, repair, or replace the restoration) in various clinical scenarios based on FDI World Dental Federation evaluation criteria, which are categorized into 3 groups: esthetic, functional, and biological properties. The descriptive statistical analysis was conducted using percentage frequencies, and associations between variables were tested using chi-square tests (α = 0.05). According to 47.9% of respondents, staining was the esthetic property that most often warranted replacement. For the functional property, 53.8% of respondents reported that fracture of material and retention was the most important factor indicating the need for replacement. For the clinical scenarios, 41.7% of respondents chose restoration replacement when evaluating esthetic properties, 59.8% when evaluating functional properties, and 64.4% when evaluating biological properties. Replacement, rather than maintenance or repair, was the most frequently reported clinical decision, and the dentists' professional profiles influenced treatment recommendations, with specialists exhibiting a slightly lower frequency of recommendations for replacement of direct composite resin restorations.
Keywords: composite resins; dental restoration failure; dental restoration repair; questionnaire.