Knowledge, attitude and skills of dental practitioners of Puducherry on minimally invasive dentistry concepts: A questionnaire survey

Abstract

Background:Minimally invasive dentistry (MID) encompasses early caries diagnosis through caries risk assessment (CRA), early detection of incipient carious lesion including primary and secondary prevention based on scientific evidence that remineralization of demineralized enamel and dentin is possible if detected early. Although the dental curriculum focuses on the advantages of MID in tooth preservation, this science is not usually translated into practice.Aim:This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and skills of dental practitioners of Puducherry regarding the concepts of MID.Subjects and Methods:Data were collected through an online survey questionnaire based on awareness and practice of MID. Statistical evaluation was done on SPSS by Chi-square test.Results:A total of 126 dentists responded of which only 55% were trained in MID during their undergraduate and internship period, mainly through lectures (49.6%). Nearly 81% agreed that CRA should be conducted for all patients. Almost 42.7% had heard about International Caries Detection and Assessment System, but only 25.9% used a blunt explorer for caries detection. About 13.7% use magnification (loupes/microscope), but majority (84.7%) use radiographs. More than 70% were unaware of newer methods of caries detection. Statistically significant differences were found (P < 0.05) regarding qualification and experience about the effectiveness of Atraumatic Restorative Treatment and sandwich technique for treatment of caries in permanent teeth and high caries-risk children.Conclusion:Although there is knowledge about advantages of MID among dentists of Puducherry, it does not benefit patients, as many practitioners still follow the traditional principles of total caries removal.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Caries Risk Assessment and Management in General Dentists- A Cross Sectional Survey

“…(7) In a study by Rayapudi and Usha, 81% of participants agreed with CRA in patients. (8) In a study by Riley et al about the use of CRA by dentists in children, 73% of dentists reported having CRAs for people aged 6 to 18 years. (9) In another study by Riley et al, 69% of dentists performed CRA for patients, and 57% of dentists who performed CRA had considered an individualized caries prevention programs for their patients.…”

Efficacy of resin infiltrate in noncavitated proximal carious lesions: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Aggravating the problem, using rotary burs, and cutting instruments in the conventional invasive treatment of proximal lesions sacrifice substantial amounts of sound tooth structure. This violates the concept of minimally invasive dentistry (MID)[45] which involves excavating the least possible amount of dental tissues. [6] Consequently, resin infiltration was invented.…”

Dental Caries Preventive Considerations: Awareness of Undergraduate Dental Students

“…These approaches include lecture-based modules [9,10], competency-based cariology management programs [11], and curricula developed by regional dental organizations [12][13][14]. It is worth noting that the majority of the mentioned reports emphasized the shift towards prevention, early diagnosis, and conservative approaches of management (e.g., remineralization) when teaching dental caries [10,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Further, caries risk assessment is among the most important concepts included in these approaches; it is affected by multiple factors, including dietary aspects, oral hygiene practices, bacterial factors, and fluoride exposure [5,22].…”