Current trends in restorative dentistry in the UK: a Delphi approach

Objectives. The purpose of the study was to obtain insight into current trends in restorative dentistry in the UK by means of a Delphi technique. Methods. A panel of nine experts was convened to define areas where changes were thought to occur in contemporary restorative dentistry. The defining statements obtained were circulated amongst the Panel to reach consensus on the content and wording, and then formatted into a questionnaire which was distributed amongst 407 clinical academic staff in Restorative Dentistry in UK dental schools. Good agreement with a statement was defined as a score of ≥70%, statements that received such scores were taken as indicating possible trends. Results. The Expert Panel reached consensus on the wording of 21 defining statements, which were formatted into a 23-item questionnaire. The questionnaire achieved a useable response rate of 70%, and the academic respondents reached good agreement on 15 (65%) of the statements. Conclusions. The 15 statements which received scores of 70% or greater were considered to be possible indicators of trends in aspects of the clinical practice of restorative dentistry in the UK.