Quantity of Remaining Bacteria and Cavity Size After Excavation with FACE, Caries Detector Dye and Conventional Excavation In Vitro

Abstract

In this in vitro study, quantitative confocal microscopy was used to show differences in the quantity of bacteria remaining in dentin after excavation with different methods. A further parameter was the cavity volume after excavation relative to the original lesion size. Teeth with dentin caries were divided into three groups of 20 each. The caries was removed by a single operator using a slow handpiece and a round bur. In the first group, Fluorescence Aided Caries Excavation (FACE) was carried out: violet light was used to illuminate the operating field and the operator observed the cavity through a high-pass filter and removed the orange-red fluorescing areas. The second group was excavated using Caries Detector, while the third group used conventional excavation. After excavation, cavity volume was measured; samples were stained for bacteria with ethidium bromide, and they were examined using confocal microscopy under standardized conditions. The bound stain was quantified in terms of fluorescence intensity on the confocal images.

Micro-computerized tomography assessment of fluorescence aided caries excavation (FACE) technology: comparison with three other caries removal techniques

“…the PC/ IC ratio). 13,18 A relative cavity size close to 1 indicates a perfect MIP, as the volume of the removed tissue (PC) corresponds exactly to the volume of the initial carious lesion (IC volume).…”

“…Previous studies have shown that FACE is more effective than CE in removing bacterially infected dentine. [17][18][19] Moreover, histological analysis has shown that this technology removed much more infected tissue when compared with methods based on CME and caries dye. 17 However, data on the minimal invasive potential (MIP) of FACE are scarce; only one study on the subject, which used silicone impression to measure cavity volume, has been published to date.…”

“…13,27,29,[31][32][33] FACE has been reported to achieve good results in the removal of infected dentine compared with CE, CME and LIF. [17][18][19][20] However, no data are available about the MIP of FACE. The aim of this study was to compare the CRE and MIP parameter of FACE to those of CE, CME and LIF using micro-CT.…”

“…16 A newer caries excavation method, fluorescence aided caries excavation (FACE), that uses orange-red autofluorescence as a marker for infected dentine was recently introduced. [17][18][19][20] The phenomenon of red fluorescence in carious dental hard tissue and in dental plaque and calculus was first reported in the 1920s. 22,23 This red autofluorescence of caries and dental plaque is believed to be caused by porphyrins and metalloporphyrins synthesized by oral microorganisms.…”

“…17 However, data on the minimal invasive potential (MIP) of FACE are scarce; only one study on the subject, which used silicone impression to measure cavity volume, has been published to date. 18 Micro-computerized tomography (micro-CT) is a non-destructive technique that allows volumetric characterization of the degree of mineralization of hard tissues and assessment of their mineral density (MD). 27,28 Recent literature has shown that the effectiveness of caries removal techniques can be evaluated nondestructively using micro-CT by comparing the internal tooth structure before and after caries removal.…”