What diagnostic strategy performs better for caries lesion detection on proximal surfaces of adolescents?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of visual inspection alone and associated to radiographic and laser fluorescence (LF) methods in detecting non-evident caries lesions at adolescents' proximal surfaces. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adolescents (12 to 17 years old) were assessed for the presence of caries lesions through visual inspection, radiographic examination, and LF method (DIAGNOdent pen), at non-cavitated (NC) and cavitated lesion (CAV) thresholds. Temporary separation with orthodontic rubbers followed by direct visual inspection was the reference standard method. Two examiners conducted the examinations, and the first examiner reassessed around 20% of the sample, to evaluate inter- and intra-examiner reproducibility, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and utility values were calculated for the methods alone and combined with visual inspection using two different strategies: simultaneous and sequential combination. RESULTS: A total of 834 proximal surfaces (51 adolescents) were included. Visual inspection presented higher reproducibility values (higher than 0.98). Moreover, visual inspection presented higher sensitivity (around 0.51) than those obtained with other diagnostic strategies (varying from 0.09 to 0.20) at the NC threshold. For CAV, visual inspection presented higher specificity (0.996) than the sequential association with adjunct methods (around 0.97), but with lower sensitivity. Accuracy and utility values for combined strategies were similar or lower than those achieved with the visual inspection performed alone. CONCLUSION: Visual inspection alone performs better for detecting caries lesions in premolars and molars of adolescents than other diagnostic strategies. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The best diagnostic strategy for caries detection of proximal caries lesions in adolescents is the visual inspection alone.

Impact of the radiographic method on treatment decisions related to dental caries in primary molars: a before-after study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of radiographic examination on changes of treatment decision related to dental caries compared to decisions guided by visual inspection alone in primary molars. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 126 children aged 3-6 years who had sought dental assistance were randomly selected and examined by two calibrated examiners using visual inspection. A treatment plan regarding dental caries was generated based on this assessment. The same examiners then evaluated two bitewing radiographs, creating an additional treatment plan guided by concurrent assessment of both visual and radiographic methods. Occlusal and proximal surfaces of primary molars received a treatment decision as follows: (i) no treatment, (ii) non-operative treatment, and (iii) operative treatment. The frequency of changes in the treatment decision after radiographic examination was calculated, with subsequent Poisson multilevel regression analysis to evaluate variables influencing such changes. RESULTS: Changes from "no treatment" decided with visual inspection to "non-operative treatment" after radiographic evaluation occurred in 52 surfaces (3.2%), and changes to "operative treatment" were observed in 46 dental surfaces (2.8%). Furthermore, 50 surfaces (6.2%) had their treatment decision changed from non-operative to operative treatment after radiographic assessment. In addition, changes were significantly more frequent in children with higher caries experience, on proximal surfaces and in 1st primary molars. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of radiographic examination on changes in the treatment decision of primary molars made with visual inspection is modest. Changes are more frequent in children with higher caries experience and in proximal surfaces. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The benefits of the radiographic method for detecting caries in children, as a protocol in the diagnostic process, seem to be overestimated; the impact of this method on changes in treatment decision made by visual examination alone is low. Radiographs could be, however, useful in particular conditions, such as in children with high caries experience.

The Influence of Cognitive Bias on Caries Lesion Detection in Preschool Children.

We aimed to evaluate whether children's caries experience exerts an influence on the performance of visual and radiographic methods in detecting nonevident proximal caries lesions in primary molars. Eighty children (3-6 years old) were selected and classified as having a lower (≤3 decayed, missing, or filled surfaces; dmf-s) or higher (> 3 dmf-s) caries experience. Two calibrated examiners then assessed 526 proximal surfaces for caries lesions using visual and radiographic methods. As a reference standard, 2 other examiners checked the surfaces after temporary separation. Noncavitated and cavitated lesion thresholds were considered and Poisson multilevel regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the influence of caries experience on the performance of diagnostic strategies. Accuracy parameters stratified by caries experience were also derived. A statistically significant influence of caries experience was observed only for visual inspection, with more false-positive results in children with a higher caries experience at the noncavitated lesion threshold, and more false results at the cavitated threshold. The detection of noncavitated caries lesions in children with a higher caries experience was overestimated (specificity = 0.696), compared to children with a lower caries experience (specificity = 0.918), probably due to confirmation bias. However, the examiners underestimated the detection of cavitated lesions in children with a higher caries experience (sensitivity = 0.143) compared to lower-caries-experience children (sensitivity = 0.222), possibly because of representativeness bias. The radiographic method was not influenced by children's caries experience. In conclusion, children's caries experience influences the performance of visual inspection in detecting proximal caries lesions in primary teeth, evidencing the occurrence of cognitive biases.

Responsiveness of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) is related to dental treatment complexity.

BACKGROUND: The responsiveness of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) has varied greatly across studies; hence, we hypothesized that this discrepancy could be related to the complexity of dental treatment received. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the responsiveness of the ECOHIS to changes in oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) following dental treatments of varying complexity in preschool children. METHODS: Preschool children aged 3 to 6 years were selected; their parents responded to the ECOHIS at baseline. The parents responded to the ECOHIS again and a global transition question 30 days after the children were treated. The type of treatment received by the children was categorized according to complexity, as follows: 1) non-operative treatment only, 2) restorative treatment, and 3) endodontic treatment and/or tooth extraction. Change scores and effect sizes (ES) were calculated for total scores, as well as considering the different treatment types and global transition question responses. RESULTS: Of the 152 children who completed the study, the ECOHIS yielded large ES for total scores (0.89). The children showed increasing ES values associated with better perception of improvement, assessed by the global transition question. The magnitude of ES after treatment was related to treatment complexity (0.53, 0.92 and 1.43, for children who received non-operative treatment only, restorative treatment, and endodontic treatment and/or tooth extraction, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Parents whose children required more complex dental treatment are more likely to perceive treatment-related changes to OHRQoL assessed with the ECOHIS.

Performance of fluorescence-based and conventional methods of occlusal caries detection in primary molars - an in vitro study.

AIM: This in vitro study aimed to test the performance of fluorescence-based methods in detecting occlusal caries lesions in primary molars compared to conventional methods. DESIGN: Two examiners assessed 113 sites on 77 occlusal surfaces of primary molars using three fluorescence devices: DIAGNOdent (LF), DIAGNOdent pen (LFpen), and fluorescence camera (VistaProof-FC). Visual inspection (ICDAS) and radiographic methods were also evaluated. One examiner repeated the evaluations after one month. As reference standard method, the lesion depth was determined after sectioning and evaluation in stereomicroscope. The area under the ROC curve (Az), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the methods were calculated at enamel (D1) and dentine caries (D3) lesions thresholds. The intra and interexaminer reproducibility were calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and kappa statistics. RESULTS: At D1, visual inspection presented higher sensitivities (0.97-0.99) but lower specificities (0.18-0.25). At D3, all the methods demonstrated similar performance (Az values around 0.90). Visual and radiographic methods showed a slightly higher specificity (values higher than 0.96) than the fluorescence based ones (values around 0.88). In general, all methods presented high reproducibility (ICC higher than 0.79). CONCLUSIONS: Although fluorescence-based and conventional methods present similar performance in detecting occlusal caries lesions in primary teeth, visual inspection alone seems to be sufficient to be used in clinical practice.

Impact of visual inspection and radiographs for caries detection in children through a 2-year randomized clinical trial: The Caries Detection in Children-1 study.

BACKGROUND: Visual inspection (VIS) with radiographic examination (RAD) is the recommended diagnostic strategy for detecting caries in children; however, this recommendation is based on accuracy studies. The authors conducted a clinical trial to compare the detection and subsequent treatment of carious lesions in primary molars performed with VIS alone and with RAD. METHODS: Children (3-6 years old) were randomly assigned to 2 groups according to the diagnostic strategy used for caries detection on primary molars: VIS or RAD. Participants were diagnosed and treated according to the management plan related to the allocated group. The primary outcome was the number of new operative interventions during the 2-year follow-up period. Other secondary outcomes were also compared. Comparisons were performed with Mann-Whitney test using an intention-to-treat approach. RESULTS: Of the 252 children included and randomized, 216 were followed-up after 2 years (14.3% attrition rate). There was no difference between the groups for the primary outcome (P = .476). For the secondary outcomes, the RAD group had more restoration replacements (P = .038) and more restorations performed since the beginning of the study (P = .038) compared with the VIS group. In addition, the RAD group had a higher number of false-positive results than the VIS group (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous use of VIS and RAD for caries diagnosis in primary molars of children who seek dental treatment does not provide additional benefits compared with VIS alone. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Dentists should perform VIS only, not RAD, for detecting carious lesions in preschool-aged children. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02078453.

Is it feasible to use smartphone images to perform telediagnosis of different stages of occlusal caries lesions?

The purpose of this study was to compare the performance of two different models of smartphone and a conventional camera with that of direct clinical examination in detecting caries lesions at different stages of progression in deciduous molars. The photographic equipment consisted of two smartphones (iPhone and Nexus 4) and a conventional macro camera setup. First, in the laboratory phase of the study, we compared the images of 20 exfoliated primary teeth having caries lesions at different stages. Then, in the clinical phase of the study, the images of 119 primary molars from fifteen children (3 to 6 years old) were used. All of the photographic images were taken using the previously described devices. In both groups, two examiners, blinded to the photographic equipment used, assessed the images independently on a computer screen, and classified them according to the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS). The teeth were then examined directly by two other experienced examiners, and the consensus reached was considered the reference standard. Parameters of validity, such as percentage of correct answers, agreement with the reference standard, sensitivity, specificity and inter-examiner agreement (using the weighted kappa test) were calculated. The examiners performed similarly in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Inter-examiner reliability was approximately 0.7 for all the devices in the laboratory setting, and for the macro camera photography system in the clinical setting, but it was approximately 0.9 for the iPhone and Nexus images taken in vivo. With regard to the percentage of correct answers, the highest values were observed for sound and extensive caries lesions in both laboratory and clinical settings. The percentage of correct answers for initial and moderate lesions was particularly low in the clinical evaluation, irrespective of the camera devices used. Therefore, we concluded that photographic diagnosis using smartphone images is feasible and accurate for distinguishing sound tooth surfaces from extensive caries lesions; however, photographic images are not a good method for accurately detecting initial and moderate caries lesions.

Is the red fluorescence of dental plaque related to its cariogenicity?

It has been speculated that the red fluorescence emitted by dental plaque could be related to its cariogenicity. To test this hypothesis, we designed this crossover in situ study, with two experimental phases of 14 days each. Seventeen volunteers, wearing a palatal appliance with bovine enamel blocks, were instructed to drip a 20% sucrose solution (experimental group) or purified water (control group) onto the enamel blocks eight times daily. The specimens were removed after 4, 7, 10, and 14 days, and the red fluorescence of dental plaque formed on the enamel blocks was assessed using a quantitative light-induced fluorescence device. After the plaque removal, surface and cross-sectional microhardness tests were performed to assess the mineral loss. The comparisons were made by a multilevel linear regression analysis. We observed a significant increase in the red fluorescence of the dental plaque after longer periods of formation, but this trend was verified in both groups. The mineral loss assessed by the microhardness techniques, contrariwise, showed a significant increase only in the experimental group. In conclusion, the red fluorescence emitted by the dental plaque indicates a mature biofilm, but this fact is not necessarily associated with its cariogenicity.

New proposal of silver diamine fluoride use in arresting approximal caries: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Approximal surfaces are a challenge to caries lesions control. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a simple,low-cost and promisor intervention for arresting caries lesions, but it has never been tested on approximal surfaces. Our aim is to evaluate the efficacy and cost-efficacy of SDF in arresting initial lesions compared to resin infiltration and exclusively flossing (control group). Our second aim is to assess discomfort and satisfaction regarding interventions. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a randomized clinical trial, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Children/adolescents presenting at least one approximal initial caries lesion in primary molars/permanent premolars and molars will be included. Surfaces with advanced dentine lesions identified by radiography and participants who refuse to participate or present negative behaviors will be excluded. A minimum sample size of 504 surfaces will be required for each subgroup. Individuals will be randomly allocated in three groups of interventions: SDF, resin infiltration, and control group. Depending on the allocation, the patients will receive the active treatment and respective placebo therapies. All patients will be oriented to daily flossing the included surfaces. Our primary outcome will be caries progression by clinical and radiographic examinations. Appointments will be timed and costs of materials will be considered to calculate cost-efficacy. Patient discomfort will be assessed after interventions. Parent and patient satisfaction with the treatment will be collected after treatment and in the last follow-up visit. Individuals will be assessed at 1 and 3 months after treatment to evaluate dental biofilm and at 6, 12, and 24 months to assess caries progression by visual examination and/or radiography. Multilevel analyses will be used to verify if the type of treatment influenced on the tested outcomes. Costs will be compared and analyses of cost-efficacy will be performed. Poisson analysis will test the association between intervention and reported discomfort and satisfaction. DISCUSSION: Our hypothesis is that SDF is the most cost-efficacious option from all tested interventions. If our hypothesis is confirmed, the use of SDF in private and public contexts could represent an easier and effective option in the treatment of enamel approximal caries in children/adolescents. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01477385), Initial release: 11/16/2011: last update: 06/02/2014.