Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials on Chemomechanical Caries Removal

ART with or without the aid of chemo-mechanical agents: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

To investigate whether the use of chemo-mechanical carious tissue removal (CMCTR) agents is effective for Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Searches were conducted in 6 databases for inclusion of clinical studies. Risk of bias was assessed (RoB 2 and ROBINS-I), a meta-analysis was performed with data from time of carious tissue removal (TCTR), and the certainty of evidence was estimated. ART + CMCTR was compared to ART for the treatment of caries lesions in primary teeth (pt) and permanent teeth (PT) of humans, considering acceptability, pain/discomfort, survival and success of restorations (SSR), Oral Health-Related Quality of life (OHRQol), satisfaction, TCTR, total treatment time (TTT), carious tissue removal efficacy and adverse effects.

RESULTS

Of 12 included studies, 4 showed low risk of bias, considering pain, TTT and TCTR outcomes. ART + CMCTR was similar or more accepted than ART for pt, causing similar or less pain/discomfort for both dentitions. There was no difference in SSR, OHRQol for PT, and adverse effects (pt), although greater satisfaction was reported after ART + CMCTR in case of PT. ART + CMCTR was better or as effective as ART in removing carious tissue (pt). TTT for pt was divergent between the groups, but without difference of TCTR for both, pt and PT (MD 0.11 [-1.56, 1.77] p = 0.90, I 2 =93%).

CONCLUSIONS

In general, ART + CMCTR is effective, providing greater satisfaction, with no difference in SSR, OHRQol and adverse effects compared to ART, which did not present advantages in relation to pain/discomfort and efficacy in removing carious tissue. The TTT was influenced by the CMCTR agent; however, there was no difference for TCTR in the overall quantitative synthesis with Papacárie DuoGel®.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The use of chemo-mechanical agents for carious tissue removal in the ART may benefit patients with reduced pain/discomfort.

Biological Effects of New Chemical-Mechanical Caries Removal Products on Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to compare the biological effects of four chemical caries removal materials and to assess their cytotoxicity using human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs).

METHODS

The products evaluated are: 1 - papain-based product (BRIX 3000®); 2 - papain/chloramine based products (NATURAL-CARE and Papacárie Duo®); and 3 - chloramine based product (Cariesolut). The following in vitro experiments were carried out: IC50 measurement, cell metabolic activity (MTT) assay, cell migration, immunofluorescence experiment, cell apoptosis analysis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production analysis. Statistical analyses were performed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc test (p < 0.05).

RESULTS

The IC50 values were: Brix 3000: 0.596%; Papacárie Duo: 0.052%; NATURAL CARE: 1.034%; and Cariesolut: 0.020%. The MTT assays showed non-adequate cell viability of all chemical-mechanical caries removal tested at 2% at 24, 48, and 72 h (p < 0.001). The same behaviour was observed at 0.1% in the Papacárie Duo and Cariesolut groups. In contrast, 0.1% of Brix 3000 at all times and NATURAL CARE at 24 h treated cells showed cell viability rates similar to the control group. At 0.01% only Brix 3000 did not show statistically significant differences at any time. Delayed cell migration was observed in all hDPSCs treated with Papacárie Duo and Cariesolut (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001). Phalloidin staining images showed a high confluence of cells in the presence of NATURAL CARE, similar to the control group. On the contrary, no cells were observed in Brix 3000 and Cariesolut at 2% and 0.1% concentrations. Papacárie Duo showed cells at all concentrations, but hDPSCs treated at 0.01% concentration exhibited better proliferation and spreading than those in the control group. Apoptosis essay showed that Brix 3000 at both 0.1% and 0.01% had a percentage of live cells higher than 99%, with 68.4% live cells at 2%, 3.69% early apoptotic cells, and 27.9% late apoptotic cells. Conversely, the rest of the materials showed an abundance of apoptotic cells, even at low concentrations. 0.1% and 0.01% of BRIX 3000 did not affect the ROS production levels, while 2% of BRIX 3000 counterpart very significantly increased the percentage of CM-H2DCFDA positive cells. Again, all concentrations of Cariesolut showed significantly higher levels of ROS production than those observed in control cells.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that Brix 3000 would be the most suitable material for chemical caries removal, with Papacárie Duo and NATURAL CARE also being good options, and discourage the use of Cariesolut due to its low cytocompatibility on dental pulp stem cells.

Comparative Meta-Analysis of Minimally Invasive and Conventional Approaches for Caries Removal in Permanent Dentition

Background and Objectives: Addressing deep carious lesions poses significant challenges in daily dental practice due to the inherent complexity of their treatment. Traditionally, complete removal of carious tissues has been the norm, potentially leading to pulp tissue exposure and subsequent pulpitis. In contemporary dentistry, there is a growing preference for minimally invasive techniques, such as selective removal, offering a more conservative approach with enhanced predictability and success rates. Materials and Methods: Our study commenced with a comprehensive systematic review. After that, we performed a meta-analysis focused exclusively on randomized controlled trials involving permanent dentition. Our investigation incorporated seven selected articles, which scrutinized success rates and the incidence of pulp exposure in minimally invasive techniques (MIT) versus conventional techniques (CT). Statistical analysis employed U Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests to interpret the results. Results: Although the difference did not reach statistical significance, MIT demonstrated marginally superior success rates compared to CT. Furthermore, MIT exhibited a lower percentage of pulp exposure when contrasted with CT. However, due to the limited sample size, statistical significance for this difference could not be established. Conclusions: Minimally invasive techniques for caries removal emerge as a conservative and promising approach to safeguard pulp tissues in comparison to conventional techniques. The need for additional randomized controlled trials is emphasized to unequivocally establish the superior success rates of these procedures over their conventional counterparts.

Brazilian dentist's knowledge of minimum intervention dentistry for caries management: application of a developed knowledge scale (MIDDeC-KS) and evaluation of its psychometric properties

AIM

To assess the knowledge of Brazilian dentists about Minimum Intervention (MI) using a Minimum Intervention Dentistry to Dental Caries-Knowledge Scale (MIDDeC-KS) and evaluate its psychometric properties.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An online scale was developed to evaluate dentists' knowledge about MI. The higher the score, the greater the knowledge and vice versa. A preliminary study was carried out with 143 dentists to validate the MIDDeC-KS. For psychometric properties analysis, convergent and discriminant validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency of the instrument were assessed. After validation, MIDDeC-KS was applied to a representative sample of Brazilian dentists. T test for independent samples, Chi-square, and/or ANOVA one-way tests were applied.

RESULTS

The MIDDeC-KS convergent (Spearman's = 0.48) and discriminant (P = 0.001) validity and reliability (ICC = 0.85, α = 0.72 and ω = 0.74) were proved. The participants (n = 637) obtained an overall mean score of 7.4 ± 2.5. The sample was mainly composed of females (P < 0.01), who graduated over 10 years prior (P = 0.02), from public colleges (P < 0.01), and most were pediatric dentists (38.2%). The highest and lowest scores were reached by pediatric dentists (9.2 ± 1.6) and bucomaxillofacial professionals (3.1 ± 2.1), respectively. Brazilian dentists demonstrated more knowledge about diet, biofilm, and topical fluoride control (84.3%), while the Hall technique (31.9%), resin infiltrant (47.6%), and chemical mechanical caries removal (48.4%) were the least known MI techniques.

CONCLUSION

Brazilian dentists demonstrated more knowledge about preventive measures and less about more recent protocols, such as the Hall technique, resin infiltrant, and chemical mechanical caries tissue removal. Sufficient psychometric evidence of the MIDDeC-KS was found.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Identify dentist's knowledge about MI.

Efficacy of antiseptics and chemomechanical methods for dentin caries lesions: A systematic review with GRADE approach

Objectives

Selective caries removal aims to remove carious tissue in deep dentin lesions. However, a discussion stands on the value of antiseptics and chemomechanical adjuvant methods to reduce the bacterial load on residual caries lesions. This systematic review has addressed two main clinical questions to compare the antimicrobial efficacy of available methods using (1) antiseptic or (2) chemomechanical agents before restoring dentin carious lesions.

Methods

We included randomized and non-randomized controlled trials (RCTs/ NRCTs). We searched eight databases from inception to October 2021. Paired reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. The primary outcome was the reduction in the number of total bacterial in dentin, whereas secondary outcomes were reduction in the number of Lactobacillus and Streptococcus. We used the ratio of ratio of post-treatment to baseline means between two interventions in the logarithmic scale as a proper effect measure. Certainty of evidence was assessed with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.

Results

We included 14 RCTs and 9 NRCTs, with nine interventions. Regardless the method, the number of bacteria at baseline was similar or exceeded that after the intervention, particularly in NRCTs. The evidence was inconclusive for most comparisons. Among antiseptic agents, chlorhexidine (CHX) resulted in an average of 1.14 times [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-1.21] more total bacterial than photodynamic therapy in RCTs. Among NRCTS, the natural agents resulted in five times more total bacterial than CHX (95% CI: 2-11). For chemomechanical methods, the control resulted in eight times (95% CI: 4-17) more total bacterial than Carisolv (SHAA).

Conclusions

The certainty of the evidence was very low for all comparisons showing uncertainty whether one treatment could be more effective than another for dentin disinfection. So far, exclusively removing soft carious dentin would be enough to reduce the bacterial count.

A Bibliometric Analysis (2010-2020) of the Dental Scientific Literature on Chemo-Mechanical Methods of Caries Removal Using Carisolv and BRIX3000

Reports in the literature have proposed and analyzed several minimally invasive techniques for caries removal in recent decades. In light of recent events surrounding the ongoing epidemiological context, concerns have been raised regarding the generation of aerosols during dental procedures. The aim of our research was to provide an overview of the scientific literature on the topic of chemo-mechanical caries removal (CMCR) methods, focusing on two products (Carisolv, BRIX3000), commercially available in Europe. A bibliometric analysis was used to investigate the scientific articles included in Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database, published from January 2010 to December 2020. We analyzed the co-occurrence of all keywords (Author Keywords and the KeyWords Plus section), co-authorship and co-citation, using the free software VOSviewer. Our bibliometric analysis revealed a worldwide interest in the subject of chemo-mechanical methods of caries removal, which has transcended the area of pediatric dentistry. The analyzed studies have been conducted mainly in high-income countries that have developed sanitary policies regarding prevention and early treatment of carious lesions as a health priority.

Minimal Intervention Dentistry: Biocompatibility and Mechanism of Action of Products for Chemical-Mechanical Removal of Carious Tissue

Conventional method for removal of carious tissue using low speed drills usually induce noise and vibration, in addition to thermal and pressure effects that can be harmful to the pulp tissue and cause fear in children. Therefore, several alternative methods are being developed to try to minimize the unpleasant perception of the patient during caries removal. Chemical-mechanical removal of carious tissue goal is to selectively remove the carious lesion, which reduces the amount of bacteria inside the cavity without removing the tissue susceptible to remineralization. This method is also able to minimize the tactile perception by the patient during the manipulation of the lesion compared to the conventional method, and, therefore, it has been widely accepted among phobic patients, children and special needs patients. Due to the close relationship between dentin and pulp tissue, all injuries imposed on this dentin may have repercussions on the underlying pulp connective tissue. The morphological aspects of remaining dentin favor the diffusion of chemical components of dental materials, which can be toxic to the pulp tissue or even negatively interfere in the reparative process. Thus, considering the proximity between the applied material and the underlying pulp tissue, especially in deep cavities, there is a need to assess the biological behavior of dental materials against pulp cells, since aggressions to the pulp tissue can be caused not only by metabolites from microorganisms involved in dental caries but also by components that are released from these products. This subject was explored in this narrative literature review.

Worldwide research trends on the use of chemical-mechanical caries removal products over the years: a critical review

BACKGROUND

Chemical-mechanical caries removal (CMCR) products are in constant evolution and were recommended during the COVID-19 pandemic as substitutes for conventional caries removal.

AIM

Characterize the worldwide scientific literature about CMCR products, over the years, by means of a critical review.

DESIGN

Electronic search was performed on Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Lilacs, and Embase up to November 2020. Year, journal, country of authors, and type of study were the data extracted from the retrieved studies. Additional data of the clinical studies and systematic reviews were investigated.

RESULTS

2221 records were identified, 397 selected. 2011-2020 period concentrates higher number of publications (n = 169), in the Journal of Dental Research (n = 51), developed in Brazil (n = 45) and India (n = 44). Most studies were in vitro (n = 211) and clinical trials (n = 101). Carisolv™ (n = 48) and Papacarie Duo Gel™ (n = 33) were the most used products, prescript in isolated usage (n = 101), and compared with drills (n = 77). CMCR were more studied in primary teeth (n = 78), receiving glass ionomer cement (GIC) (n = 51) as restorative material. The most evaluated outcomes were time spent (n = 48) and pain (n = 41). Clinical application of CMCR takes more time than other techniques, but can also reduce patient anxiety, pain, and need for anesthesia.

CONCLUSION

In vitro and clinical studies with CMCR products have been increasing, mostly carried out in developing countries, evaluating Carisolv™ and Papacarie Duo Gel™. Clinical studies tend to evaluate the time spent and pain compared to drills for removing caries in primary teeth, posteriorly restored with GIC. CMCR clinical application reduces anxiety, pain, and need for anesthesia, despite increase treatments' time.

Deproteinization of caries-affected dentin with chemo-mechanical caries removal agents and its effect on dentin bonding with self-etch adhesives

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the micro-tensile bond strength (μTBS) of self-etch adhesives (SEA) to normal and caries-affected dentin after smear layer deproteinization with papain enzyme-based and NaOCl-based chemo-mechanical caries removal agents (CRAs) and to compare their efficacy to a 6 % NaOCl solution.

METHODS

Forty extracted human molars with occlusal carious lesions were randomly divided into four pretreatment groups: no treatment (control), Papacarie for 60 s, Carisolv for 60 s, and 6 % NaOCl for 15 s. After pretreatment, Universal Bond Quick ER (UBQ, one-step, 1-SEA) or Clearfil SE Bond 2 (CSE, two-step, 2-SEA) was applied to the pre-treated surface, and built-up with resin composite (Clearfil AP-X). The μTBS test was performed after 24 h water storage of the specimens at 37 °C, and the modes of failure were determined under SEM. Deproteinizing effects of the tested agents on smear layer-covered dentin was quantified by changes in the amide:phosphate ratio using attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis.

RESULTS

On caries-affected dentin the μTBS improved significantly after pretreatment with Papacarie, Carisolv, and 6 % NaOCl with both SEAs (p < 0.05). Papacarie pretreatment significantly improved the μTBS of UBQ on normal dentin compared to NaOCl pretreatment (p < 0.05). ATR-FTIR revealed that all agents significantly decreased the amide:phosphate ratio on the smear layer-covered normal and caries-affected dentin (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Smear layer deproteinizing with papain enzyme-based and NaOCl-based gel CRAs was effective in improving the micro-tensile bond strength of self-etch adhesives to caries-affected dentin.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Smear layer deproteinization with Papacarie (a papain enzyme-based gel) or Carisolv (a NaOCl-based gel) can improve the μTBS to normal and caries-affected dentin bonded with 2-step self-etch adhesives.

Pain perception of children after restorative treatments: Atraumatic restorative treatment versus chemomechanical removal - A noninferiority randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) and chemomechanical removal of dental caries have been shown to be safe and effective restorative procedures. However, current literature lacks well-design studies comparing the pain perceived by infants using ART and chemo-mechanical removal techniques.

AIMS

To compare pain perception of children of two techniques (ART vs. chemomechanical removal) of restorative treatments for dental caries removal.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

A randomized clinical trial with two parallels arms (1:1) was conducted in the cities of Manaus (AM) and Uberlândia (MG), Brazil.

METHODS

Children between 4 and 9 years old were selected. In both groups - ART (n = 20) and chemomechanical caries removal (Papaya^® gel) (n = 20) - oximeter measurements (heart rate and blood oxygenation) were performed before the intervention and until the complete removal of the infected caries dentin. At the end of the treatment, a Wong-Baker scale was used to assess pain perception during the procedure. An independent researcher measured, in minutes, the duration of each technique.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Poisson regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between the outcome and the explicative variables.

RESULTS

No statistical difference in pain perception between the two procedures of carious tissue removal was observed. By contrast, a lower heart rate was observed when chemomechanical removal was used (P = 0.013).

CONCLUSION

Children that underwent chemomechanical caries removal presented lower heart rate compared to those who underwent ART. However, both techniques showed minimal or absent perceived pain.

Managing dental caries against the backdrop of COVID-19: approaches to reduce aerosol generation

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in severe limitation and closure of dental practices in many countries. Outside of the acute (peak) phases of the disease, dentistry has begun to be practised again. However, there is emerging evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted via airborne routes, carrying implications for dental procedures that produce aerosol. At the time of writing, additional precautions are required when a procedure considered to generate aerosol is undertaken.This paper aims to present evidence-based treatments that remove or reduce the generation of aerosols during the management of carious lesions. It maps aerosol generating procedures (AGPs), where possible, to alternative non-AGPs or low AGPs. This risk reduction approach overcomes the less favourable outcomes associated with temporary solutions or extraction-only approaches. Even if this risk reduction approach for aerosol generation becomes unnecessary in the future, these procedures are not only suitable but desirable for use as part of general dental care post-COVID-19.

Is Fluorescence Technology a Promising Tool for Detecting Infected Dentin in Deep Carious Lesions?

The purpose of this study was to determine if the degree of fluorescence detected by fluorescence-aided caries excavation (FACE) correlates with dentin bacterial microbiome diversity, as assessed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and with traditional tactile dentin caries assessment. Unidentified human teeth were obtained from a dental facility. The included teeth had a carious lesion two-thirds into the dentin, verified by radiography, and were red-fluorescing (RF) using FACE technology (SIROInspect; Sirona, Bensheim, Germany). Two independent examiners performed visual/tactile assessment of the lesions. RF sites were sampled with a sterile spoon excavator and dentin characteristics were evaluated. Once RF dentin was removed, a second sample of pink-fluorescing (PF) dentin was obtained. After excavation with a sterile round bur to nonfluorescing (NF) dentin, a third sample was collected with a slow-speed round bur. The samples were processed at the UNC (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) Microbiome Core Facility. Out of 134 extracted teeth collected, 21 fit the inclusion criteria, yielding 61 dentin samples. RF samples had the highest number of observed operational taxonomic units (n = 154), followed by PF (n = 109) and NF (n = 100). RF carious dentin was primarily "soft," and NF dentin was assessed as "hard" 100% of the time by both examiners (rank correlation χ2: p < 0.001). However, approximately one-third of the tactile assessments of hard dentin still displayed some fluorescence, either pink or red. We concluded that the sampled fluorescing (RF and PF) and NF carious dentin layers displayed diverse bacterial taxa, and tactile assessments of soft, leathery, and hard corresponded with RF, PF, and NF.

Comparison between conventional and chemomechanical approaches for the removal of carious dentin: an in vitro study

The present study aimed to evaluate the efficiency, effectiveness, and biocompatibility of two agents used for the chemomechanical removal of carious dentin. Sixty extracted carious human teeth were treated with a conventional bur (CBG) or chemomechanical agents – Papacarie Duo (PG) and Brix 3000 (BG). Treatment efficiency and effectiveness were assessed by the working time for carious dentin removal and Knoop microhardness values, respectively. Human pulp fibroblasts (FP6) were used to evaluate cytotoxicity by incorporating MTT dye, and genotoxicity was evaluated with the micronuclei test. The carious tissue was removed in a shorter time with CBG (median = 54.0 seconds) than the time required for chemomechanical agents (p = 0.0001). However, the time was shorter for Brix 3000 (BG) than that for Papacarie Duo (PG), showing mean values of 85.0 and 110.5 seconds, respectively. Regarding microhardness testing, all approaches tested were effective (p < 0.05). The final mean microhardness values were 48.54 ± 16.31 KHN, 43.23 ± 13.26 KHN, and 47.63 ± 22.40 KHN for PG, BG, and CBG, respectively. PG decreased cell viability compared to that of BG, but it presented no genotoxicity. Brix 3000 may be a good option for chemomechanical dentin caries removal due to its reduced removal time and lower cytotoxicity compared to the other treatment options.

Effects of Papain-Based Gel Used For Caries Removal on Macrophages and Dental Pulp Cells

Papain-based gel is used for chemical-mechanical caries removal and present antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. However, its effects on dental pulp cells and on macrophages remains largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the papain-based gel Papacárie Duo® acts as an immunomodulator in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages and its effects on dental pulp cells . J774.1 macrophage and OD-21 dental pulp cells were stimulated with 0.5% and 5% of Papacárie Duo®, following pre-treatment or not with LPS. After 24 h, a lactate dehydrogenase assay was used to measure cytotoxicity, a tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay (MTT) was used to measure cell viability, and qRT-PCR was used to analyze relative gene expression of Ptgs2, Il10, Tnf, Mmp9, Runx2, Ibsp and Spp1. Papacárie Duo® was cytotoxic and reduced cell viability at 5% but not at 0.5% in both cultures. In macrophages, Papacárie Duo® increased the expression Il10 and LPS-induced Ptgs2, but it did not affect Tnf or Mmp9. In OD-21 cells, Papacárie Duo® inhibited Runx2 and Ibsp expression, but stimulated Spp1 expression. Papain-based gel presented a concentration dependent cytotoxicity, without affecting cell viability, for dental pulp cells and macrophages. Interestingly, the gel presented an inhibitory effect on pulp cell differentiation but modulated the activation of macrophages stimulated with LPS. We speculate that in dental pulp tissue, Papacárie Duo® would impair reparative dentinogenesis but could activate macrophages to perform their role in defense and inflammation.

Surgical Management of Caries Lesions: Selective Removal of Carious Tissues

Traditionally, before placing a restoration, excavation of tissues affected by caries was recommended. The goal was to have all walls of the cavity on sound, hard dentin, even when at risk of pulpal exposure. Current understanding of the caries process indicates that preserving tooth structure can lead to better long-term outcomes. Selective caries excavation refers to preserving tooth structure by delineating excavation in the pulpal and axial wall according to lesion severity and depth as well as pulpal health while keeping all cavity margins on sound tooth structure. Compounding evidence indicates that when a good marginal seal is present, the lesion will arrest.

Systematic review versus structured critical analysis

Objective: This analysis discusses common problems with systematic reviews (SRs) and presents a novel solution, the structured critical analysis (SCA) that can be incorporated into a SR or used as an alternative literature review design.Methods: A cross-sectional survey of current SRs related to interdisciplinary restorative dentistry was obtained by evaluating 100 current SRs for their self-reported methodological quality and its effect on scientific validity.Results: The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses protocol (PRISMA) was used in 99/100 SRs, but only 8/100 reported a low risk of bias. High statistical heterogeneity precluding meta-analysis was found in 44/100 SRs. Only 94 paragraphs/100 SRs provided critical analysis.Discussion: Significant problems were found with current SRs that can compromise their reliability as the premier level of evidence for clinical science research. The reader must be aware of these deficiencies to correctly interpret the SR and cannot rely on the format alone.

Atraumatic Restorative Treatment and Interim Therapeutic Restoration: A Review of the Literature

This review discusses the techniques and uses of atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) and interim therapeutic restoration (ITR) and states the differences between these two approaches. ART and ITR are similar approaches and are performed using the same material, but they differ in the purpose of their use. ART is used in cases when there are obstacles to reaching dental care units and has been proven to have high success rates in primary and permanent dentitions. ITR is used as a temporary restoration that will be replaced with a more definitive one. ITR is used in cases when the ideal dental treatment cannot be performed. Conventional glass polyalkenoate (ionomer) restorative cement (GIC) is the material of choice that has been used for ART and ITR. This is because of its fluoride release properties, including its ability to bond to enamel and dentine, its pulpal biocompatibility, and its ease of manipulation. High-viscosity glass ionomer performed better than low and medium-viscosity glass ionomer in ART. Combining GIC with conditioner, as well as the use of a chemo-mechanical approach, improved the success rate of ART. Both ATR and ITR are acceptable strategies, with success rates comparable to the traditional treatment methods.

New treatment method for pain and reduction of local anesthesia use in deep caries

Chemo-mechanical caries removal methods are known to be more effective compared with conventional methods in pain reduction. Carie-care™, a chemo-mechanical caries removal agent, was introduced in 2010 but a systematic review of its efficacy has not yet been performed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Carie-care™ on the outcomes of treatment of caries in children and adolescents. The primary outcome was pain while the secondary outcomes included complete caries removal (CCR), time, need for local anesthesia and behavioral response changes.

A Comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library up to 30 September 2018. The following keywords were used in the search: ‘chemo-mechanical caries removal agent’, ‘dental caries’, ‘Carie-care’, ‘chemo-mechanical caries removal’, ‘chemo-mechanical caries excavation’, other related keywords, and their combinations. From 942 studies identified, 16 were analyzed. Finally, 4 studies met the eligibility criteria and 260 teeth in 120 children and adolescents were included in this review.

This review showed that Carie-care™ reduces pain during caries treatment but requires a longer time for effective treatment than conventional methods. Local anesthesia was not required in the Chemo-mechanical caries removal (CMCR) group. In addition, dental anxiety decreased compared to the control group, and co-operation was more positive. Therefore, it may be a useful alternative to conventional methods in children and adolescents, but further verification through additional studies is needed.

Caries removal in primary teeth using Papacarie

Data sourcesPubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and the Web of Science were searched. Whether any limits on language were applied remains unclear. Studies published up to January 2018 were included.Study selectionTwo reviewers independently selected randomised or controlled clinical trials (RCTs, CCTs) investigating carious tissue removal using Papacarie, an enzyme-based chemomechanical method, versus conventional' techniques in primary molars in children or adolescents.Data extraction and synthesisData were abstracted independently by two reviewers and risk of bias assessed. Three outcomes, bacterial counts after carious tissue removal (measure: log10 colony-forming units [CFU]), pain (measured on Wong-Baker scale) and the time needed for carious tissue removal (in seconds), were submitted to meta-analysis (effect estimate: weighted means).ResultsSix RCTs and four CCTs, published 2009-2016, were included. After Papacarie-based removal, fewer bacteria remained compared with conventional treatment (MD 0.57 log10 CFU, 95% CI 0.04 to 1.09, based on two studies). Pain was also significantly lower in the Papacarie group (-1.01, -1.72 to -0.30, based on three studies). Papacarie-based removal took significantly longer (200.8 seconds, 152.5 to 249.1, based on seven studies).ConclusionsPapacarie-based carious tissue removal is efficacious for bacteria removal, and exerts significantly less pain than conventional removal. However, treatment times are longer.

Effects of Papacarie on children with dental caries in primary teeth: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Caries in primary teeth hinder the child to bite and chew and influence their development. Papacarie has the characteristics of selective removal of decayed tissue and can preserve healthy dentine to the maximum, but its efficiency has not been critically evaluated compared to conventional method.

AIM

This review is aiming at comparing the Papacarie and traditional method in caries removal in primary dental caries with children.

DESIGN

Comprehensive literature searching at PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science to January 2018.

RESULTS

Six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and four prospective controlled clinical trials (CCTs) were included. The microbiota in caries dentine was significantly reduced using the Papacarie treatment (MD = 0.57, 95% CI 0.04 to 1.09, P = 0.03), and the anxiety feeling declined more in the Papacarie group (MD = -1.01, 95% CI -1.72 to -0.30, P < 0.005). There was a greater 200.79 (MD = 200.79, 95%CI 152.50 to 249.09, P < 0.00001) increase in time taken for the Papacarie treatment compared with the conventional method.

CONCLUSION

Papacarie exerts a positive effect in reducing the bacteria and decreases the pain during caries removal in primary teeth although it costed a longer treatment time compared with the conventional method.

Do universal adhesives promote bonding to dentin? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives

The aims of this study were to conduct a systematic review of the microtensile bond strength (µTBS) of multi-mode adhesives to dentin and to perform a meta-analysis to assess the significance of differences in the µTBS of one of the most commonly used universal adhesives (Scotchbond Universal, 3M ESPE) depending on whether the etch-and-rinse or self-etch mode was used.

Materials and Methods

An electronic search was performed of MEDLINE/PubMed, ScienceDirect, and EBSCOhost. Laboratory studies that evaluated the µTBS of multi-mode adhesives to dentin using either the etch-and-rinse or self-etch mode were selected. A meta-analysis was conducted of the reviewed studies to quantify the differences in the µTBS of Scotchbond Universal adhesive.

Results

Only 10 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. Extensive variation was found in the restorative materials, testing methodologies, and failure mode in the reviewed articles. Furthermore, variation was also observed in the dimensions of the microtensile testing beams. The meta-analysis showed no statistically significant difference between the etch-and-rinse and self-etch modes for Scotchbond Universal adhesive (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Multi-mode ‘universal’ adhesives can achieve substantial bonding to dentin, regardless of the used modes (either etch-and-rinse or self-etch).

Effect of Papacarie and Alternative Restorative Treatment on Pain Reaction during Caries Removal among Children: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effect of Papacarie and Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) on pain and discomfort during caries removal among children.

STUDY DESIGN

Fifty healthy, 4-8 year-old children were equally and randomly allocated to Papacarie and ART to remove caries from decayed primary teeth. A randomized, controlled, blinded, two parallel-arms clinical trial was conducted in the clinic of the Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health Department, Alexandria University, Egypt in March 2014. Pain and discomfort were assessed blindly by two independent investigators watching videotaped treatment sessions using the Sound, Eye and Motor scale (SEM). Their reliability was assessed using Kappa statistics. The effect of caries removal methods, time spent to remove caries and other confounders on SEM score was assessed using regression analysis.

RESULTS

Mean time to remove caries using Papacarie and ART was 5.8 and 4.8 minutes, P= 0.005. Median Paparie and ART scores for the S, E and M components were 1, 1, 1 and 3, 2, 3. Adjusted mean SEM score= 3.6 and 7.8, P <0.0001. Method of caries removal was the only factor significantly affecting pain and discomfort.

CONCLUSION

Papacarie is associated with minimal pain during caries removal from primary teeth compared to ART, although it has longer working time.

Efficacy of using Carisolv in the removal of decayed tooth structure in primary teeth

Data sourcesMedline, Web of Science and Scopus were searched using a unique search strategy.Study selectionTwo authors independently reviewed and selected Clinical Trials, Randomised Clinical trials and Controlled Trials assessing the efficacy on primary dentition of Carisolv compared to traditional caries removal with drilling instruments. Only studies where total caries removal in each group was completed using Carisolv systems or rotary instruments used without any time limit were considered suitable. Studies assessing the complete caries removal by different methods from the clinical criteria selected (ie using a sharp probe) were excluded.Data extraction and synthesisThe outcomes considered for the review were: the caries removal rate (binary yes/no), the time required to complete the tissue removal (continuous) and the pain threshold during the procedure, assessed through the need for local anaesthesia by the patients (binary yes/no).For dichotomous data Odds Ratio (OR) was calculated along with 95% Confidence intervals (CIs) and for continuous data, the Mean Difference (MD) with 99% Confidence Intervals (CIs) was calculated. Meta-analysis was performed with studies analysing the same outcomes.ResultsFrom 195 studies identified, 28 were analysed. Ten met eligibility criteria. The trials included involved a total of 348 patients for 532 treated teeth. Three studies evaluated clinical efficacy in caries removal. When the data were collected in a meta-analysis no statistically significant difference was observed in regard of the clinical efficacy between Carisolv and the rotary instruments (p= 0.50, OR= 0.33 95% CI 0.01-8.22).In seven studies the length of time to perform the procedures was evaluated and data analysis demonstrated a statistically significant difference (p < 0.01, MD 310.92, 99 % CI 234.57- 387.27) with the Carisolv system, which required a greater amount of time than the conventional drill technique. With regard to pain threshold, a near statistically significant difference was found (p=0.06, OR=0.09 95% CI 0.01-1.07) with less anaesthesia required by patients treated using the Carisolv system technique.ConclusionsThe systematic review indicates that the clinical efficacy of chemo-mechanical removal with Carisolv seems as reliable as with rotary instruments. However, the results should be interpreted cautiously due to the hetero-geneity among study designs and to the shortage of available data. Further large-scale, well-designed randomised controlled trials are needed.

Effectiveness of chemomechanical caries removal agents Papacarie(®) and Carie-Care™ in primary molars: An in vitro study

Aims and Objectives:

The chemomechanical caries removal system is made presently available containing a natural proteolytic enzyme for ease in the excavation of infected dentin. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and efficiency of caries removal using Papacarie^® and Carie-Care™.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 30 extracted deciduous molars with proximal caries were collected, and each tooth was sectioned mesiodistally in the center of the carious lesion so that the two halves (buccal and lingual or palatal) have similar carious lesions, thus 30 teeth yielded 60 specimens. The specimens from each tooth were divided alternatively into two groups for caries excavation either using Papacarie^® or Carie-Care™ so as to avoid selection bias. Paired t-test was used to compare mean time taken for caries removal and Fischer's exact test was done for comparing bacterial remnants after caries excavation.

Results:

Mean time taken for caries removal was significantly higher for Carie-Care™ (427.13 s) when compared to Papacarie^® (385.8 s). Papacarie^® was found to be significantly more efficient in caries removal with marked reduction in the bacterial remnants following excavation. However, both gels were found to be conservative as dentinal tubule destruction was not evident in either of them.

Conclusion:

Both Papacarie^® and Carie-Care™ were found to be conservative in caries removal. Papacarie^® was more efficient in removing bacteria in lesser time from the infected carious lesion.