Identifying between GIC and composite when charting

Often it is difficult to tell the difference between composite and GIC when charting as they are both adhesive, "tooth coloured" materials. It has implications for charting and treatment planning.

To differentiate the two, there are multiple ways of testing the materials:
-A GIC will generally have a poorer wear resistance and a higher susceptibility to acid dissolusion. A GIC restoration will be more likely to have loss of surface anatomy and a scooped out appearance like eroded dentine.
-The location of composite resins are usually placed in higher stress areas such as the occlusal surface. GICs can be restricted to small class 1 cavities as well as class 5 restorations and may also be more prevalent out of the aesthetic zone. However this is not always the case as many dentists will use mainly composite resins for their restorative work and many will place GICs in larger cavities.
-Air drying the restoration may provide more of a clue. Dry GIC will have a frosty and rough appearance similar to etched enamel whereas properly finished composite will have a smoother appearance. unfinished composite may be difficult to distinguish
-Scratching the restoration with an explorer produces different quality sounds. Composite resin will have minimal sound produced due to its smaller filler size allowing a less jagged motion of the explorer. GIC will make a sound similar to scraping against glass due to its larger filler size and glass content.
-GICs will tend to appear more opaque and homogeneous whereas there is more translucency and variation in colour built into modern composites. Recent composites also have a fair chameleon effect and are likely to blend with the tooth better at the restorative margin.
-Depending on the product used, a GIC will tend to appear more radioopaque compared to a composite as its components are mostly radioopaque glass particles whereas a composite resin has a smaller proportion of radioopaquer ingredient added.