Tratamento Restaurador Atraumático: atualidades e perspectivas / Atraumatic Restorative Treatment: advances and perspectives

O Tratamento Restaurador Atraumático (Atraumatic Restorative Treatment) atualmente é entendido como uma abordagem minimamente invasiva que compreende medidas preventivas, terapêuticas e restauradoras em relação à cárie dental e no controle dessa doença, inclusive no atendimento à pacientes especiais. O tratamento é feito apenas com a utilização de instrumentos manuais e com o uso do cimento de ionômero de vidro (CIV), aplicado para o selamento de cicatrículas e fissuras em risco de cárie e na restauração de dentes com cavidades nas quais as fissuras adjacentes também são seladas. As razões mais frequentes para as falhas das restaurações ART estão associadas ao deslocamento do ionômero de vidro em função de insuficiente remoção de esmalte desmineralizado e dentina decomposta; manipulação inadequada do pó/líquido do ionômero de vidro; grau de umidade e temperatura da mistura do ionômero no momento da manipulação; não preenchimento completo da cavidade com o material restaurador; contaminação por saliva e/ou sangue; limpeza ou condicionamento insuficiente das cavidades; grau de cooperação do paciente; habilidade do operador. Materiais com propriedades estéticas melhoradas têm surgido no mercado odontológico e devem servir de estímulo para a realização de trabalhos de ART nos dentes anteriores. No preparo do dente para as restaurações de ART de Classe II, é recomendável confeccionar retenções adicionais nas paredes vestibular e lingual para evitar o deslocamento da restauração. O ART é capaz de diminuir o nível de ansiedade e medo dos pacientes quando o operador não é um especialista, além de ser um tratamento que proporciona menor dor e desconforto, podendo ser realizado num consultório odontológico ou fora dele. Sugestões para novas agendas de pesquisa sobre o ART são propostas.

The Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (A R T) is understood as a minimally invasive approach comprising preventive, therapeutic and restorative measures in relation to dental caries and in the control of this disease, including in attendance to patients of special needs. The treatment is done only with the use of hand instruments and with the use of glass ionomer cement (GIC), applied to the sealing of pits and fissures in caries risk and in the restoration of teeth with cavities in which the adjacent pits and fissures are also sealed. The most frequent reasons for the failures of ART restorations are the displacement of the glass ionomer due to inadequate removal of demineralized enamel and dentin decomposed; improper handling of the glass ionomer powder and liquid; degree of humidity and temperature of the mix GIC at the time of handling; not full fill of the cavity with the restorative material; contamination by saliva and/or blood; cleaning or conditioning of cavities; degree of cooperation of the patient; skill of the operator. Materials with improved aesthetic properties have emerged on the market and must serve as a stimulus for the works of ART in the anterior teeth. In the preparation of the tooth for class II ART restorations, we recommend that you make additional retentions in the vestibular and lingual walls to prevent the displacement of the restoration. The ART is able to reduce the level of anxiety and fear of patients when the operator is not an expert, and is a treatment that provides less pain and discomfort, and can be performed in a dental office or out of it. Suggestions for new research agendas on the ART are proposed.

Acceptability, feasibility and perceived satisfaction of the use of the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment approach for people with disability

Unmet caries treatment need is prevalent among people with disability, partly due to difficulties cooperating with conventional dental treatment. This study compared Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) with conventional restorative treatment (CRT) in the clinic and under general anaesthesia (GA), in terms of feasibility, acceptability and respondent satisfaction in patients referred for special care dentistry. Patients referred for dental restorative care were treated using either ART or CRT approach. Acceptance, feasibility and level of satisfaction with the treatment provided were assessed. ANOVA with Bonferroni correction and Chi-square tests investigated differences in age, gender and Visual Analogue Scale satisfaction scores. A total of 66 patients (mean 13.6 ± 7.8 years) were included and 43 respondents chose ART. ART was feasible for 47 patients, with optimal placement of restorations for 79% of all patients receiving ART. CRT in the clinic was chosen by 15 respondents and was feasible for 5 (33%). Local anaesthesia was required for 4 of the 47 patients receiving ART and for 3 of the 5 patients receiving CRT in the clinic. Neither ART nor CRT could be performed in the clinic for 14 patients who were treated under GA (21%). Respondent satisfaction was higher for those receiving ART than CRT (in the clinic and under GA). It was concluded that ART is a satisfactory, feasible, acceptable and effective approach to restorative dental treatment in patients with disability who have difficulty coping with conventional treatment. More research is now required to confirm these results in a larger study population.

Mechanical performance of encapsulated restorative glass-ionomer cements for use with Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART)

The Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) approach was suggested to be a suitable method to treat enamel and dentine carious lesions in patients with disabilities. The use of a restorative glass-ionomer with optimal mechanical properties is, therefore, very important. Objective To test the null-hypotheses that no difference in diametral tensile, compressive and flexural strengths exists between: (1) The EQUIA system and (2) The Chemfil Rock (encapsulated glass-ionomers; test materials) and the Fuji 9 Gold Label and the Ketac Molar Easymix (hand-mixed conventional glass-ionomers; control materials); (3) The EQUIA system and Chemfil Rock. Material and Methods Specimens for testing flexural (n = 240) and diametral tensile (n=80) strengths were prepared according to standardized specifications; the compressive strength (n=80) was measured using a tooth-model of a class II ART restoration. ANOVA and Tukey B tests were used to test for significant differences between dependent and independent variables. Results The EQUIA system and Chemfil Rock had significantly higher mean scores for all the three strength variables than the Fuji 9 Gold Label and Ketac Molar Easymix (α=0.05). The EQUIA system had significant higher mean scores for diametral tensile and flexural strengths than the Chemfil Rock (α=0.05). Conclusion The two encapsulated high-viscosity glass-ionomers had significantly higher test values for diametral tensile, flexural and compressive strengths than the commonly used hand-mixed high-viscosity glass-ionomers. .

The ART approach: clinical aspects reviewed

The success of ART as a caries management approach is supported by more than 20 years of scientific evidence. ART follows the contemporary concepts of modern cariology and restorative dentistry. It challenges treatment concepts such as step-wise excavation and the need for complete removal of affected dentine. The ART approach so far has mainly used high-viscosity glass-ionomer as the sealant and restorative material. Cariostatic and remineralization properties have been ascribed to this material which requires further research to establish its clinical relevance. The adhesion of high-viscosity glass-ionomer to enamel in pits and fissures is apparently strong, as its remnants, blocking the pits and fissures, have been considered a possible reason for the low prevalence of carious lesion development after the glass-ionomer has clinically disappeared from it. Encapsulated high-viscosity glass-ionomers may lead to higher restoration survival results than those of the hand-mixed version and should, therefore, not be neglected when using ART. Similarly, the use of resin-modified glass-ionomer with ART should be researched. The effectiveness of ART when compared to conventional caries management approaches has been shown in numerous studies. Proper case selection is an important factor for long-lasting ART restoration survival. This is based on the caries risk situation of the individual, the size of the cavity opening, the strategic position of the cavitated tooth and the presence of adequate caries control measures. As the operator is one of the main causes for failure of ART restorations, attending a well-conducted ART training course is mandatory for successful implementation of ART.