Reduction of dental fear and anxiety: the outlook of atraumatic restorative treatment

ABSTRACT

AIM: This study aimed to report a case in which the technique used was the atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) in patients with fear of conventional treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This procedure consisted in the treatment of carious lesions in the patient associated with the program of educational and preventive measures which the patient has undergone. The technique described here was performed on tooth 85, which presented atypical carious lesion cavity, through the removal of softened carious tissue with the use of hand instruments, without anesthesia and use of direct restorative material with fluoride release (glass ionomer cement). RESULTS: As a result of this technique, there was greater patient cooperation and decrease of anxiety initially revealed. CONCLUSION: Thus, it might be concluded that the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment is a technique already established that showed clinical effectiveness in controlling the evolution of the carious process and that being well indicated, was able to induce more cooperation from the patient, leading to the success of therapy restorer. The conventional glass ionomer cement showed excessive surface wear and therefore should not be used to restore atypical cavities.