This is the first study to provide a complete inventory of restorative materials used to restore teeth. This study not only recorded tooth and surface specific materials data but also traditional number of surfaces filled. Thus, it is possible to contrast the actual distribution of filling materials with the indirect measure of surfaces filled. It is also possible to directly assess the exposure level of this population to various dental materials. Accurate measurement of exposure is important in the assessment of biocompatability of dental restorative materials and population risk levels. Oral examinations were conducted on 1,166 Air Force male veterans as part of a battery of medical tests. The examination was designed to assess the oral health level of participants including caries, soft-tissue lesions, and complete tooth and surface based inventory of dental restorative materials. Caries was measured using the NIDR version of the DMF scoring system; soft tissue lesions were recorded including type, description of lesion and location; and dental restorative materials were classified into five categories: amalgams, resins, porcelains (porcelain, cements, and temporaries), gold (cast and cohesive gold), and other metals. Videotapes of each participant's oral cavity were used to record size and location of all restorations and any soft tissue conditions detected. The mean age of the study participants was 52.8 years. Overall, 5.2 percent of the participants were edentulous. Dentate individuals averaged 37.7 restored and 45.8 restored/replaced surfaces: 19.9 surfaces with amalgams, 9.4 with PCT, 9.0 with resins 5.5 with OM, and 4.9 with gold materials. Slightly more than one-half of all restored surfaces in dentate individuals were restored with amalgam. The distribution of restorative materials varied by age, arch type, and location in the mouth. The profile for the number of amalgam surfaces by age showed a peak at 22.1 surfaces in the 50-54 year old age group to a low of 14.7 surfaces in the 65-78 year old age group.
