Cavitation at Radiolucent Areas on Proximal Surfaces of Posterior Teeth

Abstract

To investigate the factors that influence the probability of clinical cavitation at radiolucent areas of proximal surfaces of posterior teeth, 108 molars and premolars with varying depths of proximal radiolucency were examined clinically, after cavity preparation on the carious contiguous tooth surfaces. The data obtained were subjected to logistic regression analysis with cavitation as the dependent variable, while age, tooth type and past caries experience (DMFT and DFS) were independent variables. When proximal radiolucency was confined to the outer half of enamel, there was no cavitation, but when it extended to the amelodentinal junction and the outer and inner half of dentine, there was cavitation in 19.3, 79.1 and 100% of cases, respectively. Moreover, there was a statistically significant relationship between the probability of cavitation, depth of radiolucency and age, suggesting that these should be among the main factors considered when restorative management of a radiolucent proximal surface of a posterior tooth is contemplated.

A Clinical and Microbiological Study of Approximal Carious Lesions

“…Seddon [1995] Bille and Thylstrup [1982] 6-15 years clinical assessment during cavity preparation 52 (n = 58) (7 operators) teenagers direct visual inspection following orthodontic extraction 100 (n = 6) Thylstrup et al [1986] children and adults clinical assessment during cavity preparation 52 (n = 330) (263 operators) Mejàre and Malmgren [1986] 7-18 years clinical assessment during cavity preparation following 78 (n = 32) tooth separation Pitts and Rimmer [1992] children under 16 years direct visual inspection following tooth separation 40.9 (n = 22) de Araujo et al [1992] high school students direct visual inspection following tooth separation 90 (n = 19) Seddon [1995] children and young adults cavity recorded on impression following tooth separation 48 (n = 52) Lunder and von der Fehr [1996] 17-18 years cavity recorded on impression following tooth separation 65 (n = 23) and stone die made Akpata et al [1996] 17-48 years direct visual inspection following tooth separation 79 (n = 43) (2 observers) Ratledge [1999] 19-76 years cavity recorded on impression following tooth separation 85 (n = 54) the recording of approximal surfaces following tooth separation helps to differentiate between colour changes and actual defects in the enamel surface and is thus a very effective method in obtaining a definitive dignosis of approximal cavitation. Using this method in this study demonstrated that 85% of lesions, radiographically in the outer third of dentine, were cavitated.…”

Reliability of Visual Examination, Fibre-Optic Transillumination, and Bite-Wing Radiography, and Reproducibility of Direct Visual Examination Following Tooth Separation for the Identification of Cavitated Carious Lesions in Contacting Approximal Surfaces

“…Recent research has demonstrated that there is no unequivocal relationship between radiographic depth and the clinical appearance of a caries lesion though the probability of clinical cavitation has been shown to increase with the depth of the radiolucency. The probability that a clinical cavitation exists in a surface with a radiolucency in the inner half of the dentine has been reported to be 100% [Bille and Thylstrup, 1982;Pitts and Rimmer, 1992;Akpata et al, 1996;Nielsen et al, 1996], and in radiolucencies extending into the outer half of dentine, it has been found to range from 41 to 79% [Mejàre and Malmgren, 1986;Thylstrup et al, 1986;Pitts and Rimmer, 1992;Akpata et al, 1996]. These results have been obtained using either direct inspection of surgically opened caries lesions, visual inspection following temporary tooth separation, or extraction followed by microscopic examination as validation for the presence or absence of cavitation.…”

Evaluation of Therapeutic Decision for Treatment of Carious Lesions by Dental Students

“…In another report, only 19.3% of surfaces were cavitated when the image showing radiolucency in the external enamel was near the DEJ [24]. A third study of radiolucency in the enamel of deciduous teeth found that 95% of the surfaces did not have cavitation [25].…”