Niet-restauratieve caviteitsbehandeling. Cariës activiteit beteugelen in plaats van maskeren

The traditional re storative approach to active dentin carie s in th e temporary
dentition is questioned. This paper argues in favour of a causal approach.
The causal approach focuses on caries m anagement. Restoration is of
secondary im portance. Delay or replacement of invasive re storative treatm ent
by a causal approach decreases d iscomfort for ch ildren and promotes oral
health over time. A form of causal treatment is the so called ‘Non-Res torative
Cavity Treatment’. This approach requires that some m easures be taken for
managing cavitated caries lesions: 1. written informed consent; 2. m aking
the cavity accessible for plaque removal; 3. treating carious dentition with
anti-cariogenic agents and/or applying a protective layer to the carious
dentition; 4. m onitoring the caries process; 5. effective communication about
dental h ealth education. Some d iagnostic criteria are im portant for th e risk
as ses sment of cavitated les ions : 1. activity of the caries les ion; 2. acces s ibility
of the caries les ion for plaque control; 3. d epth of the cavity; 4. condition of
the pulp. Conclusion: the causal approach can arrest the caries process even
in advanced s tages of d ecay.