Acceptance and Discomfort from Atraumatic Restorative Treatment in Secondary School Students in Egypt

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the level of acceptance and discomfort experienced by secondary school students when undergoing an atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) restoration. Subjects and Methods: Ninety secondary school students, aged 14 and 15 years, were included in the study. The ART restorations were prepared in 90 cavities and restored using an encapsulated high-viscosity glass ionomer. The depth of the cavities was judged from radiographs and clinically into outer, middle and inner third of dentine. Using a graded periodontal probe, cavity size was measured, into approximately half the width of the mesiodistal and buccolingual/palatal distance of the occlusal surface. The students were asked about the level of sensation experienced during cavity preparation immediately after completion of restoration. χ²-Test was used to test the effect of cavity depth and size on sensitivity from the teeth. Results: Of the 90 students, 6 (6.6%) and 26 (29.2%) experienced pain and discomfort, respectively, during cavity preparation, more often in large than in small cavities (p = 0.003) and in cavities extending into the inner third than in the middle and outer third of dentine (p < 0.0001). Only 1 student reported postoperative sensitivity. Conclusions: The ART approach to treat dental cavities was well accepted by this group of secondary school students. Only a few reported pain during cavity instrumentation, and this was more prevalent in large cavities and in cavities with the floor close to the pulp.

Dental anxiety and pain related to ART

“…This association was demonstrated in a study that aimed to determine the level of sensitivity related to cavity size and lesion depth, experienced by adolescents during ART cavity preparation 5 . The report of pain and discomfort was, in general, low; more frequently experienced in large than in small cavities and in cavities with the floor close to the pulp.…”

“…In general, results retrieved from different clinical trials, conducted in different regions of the world, show that ART is well accepted both by children and by adults treated in accordance with this approach 5 , 18 , 22 . Specific methodological designs have been developed in order to demonstrate its effectiveness in terms of reducing patients' dental anxiety and causing less pain than the traditional approaches cause.…”

Caries Experience of Egyptian Adolescents: Does the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment Approach Offer a Solution?

“…The successful use of ART in adolescents in Egypt is shown by the high 5-year survival rate of 85% for singlesurface ART restorations [10] and the high level of its acceptance among adolescents [11] . However, the ART study was neither accompanied by an investigation into the prevalence of dental caries among this age group, nor has the prevalence of carious lesions treatable through the ART approach been investigated.…”

Cost‐effectiveness of ART restorations in elderly adults: a randomized clinical trial

“…ART has several characteristics that make it a considered alternative for treating the elderly: reported good restoration survival rates , patient‐friendly nature and cost‐effectiveness . Mickenautsch et al.…”

“…ART has several characteristics that make it a considered alternative for treating the elderly: reported good restoration survival rates (16,25), patient-friendly nature and cost-effectiveness (26)(27)(28). Mickenautsch et al (28) compared the use of ART to conventional techniques using amalgam and composite and found that the annual cost of ART in a dental school in South Africa was approximately 50% of the other two options.…”