Atraumatic restorative treatment used for caries control at public schools in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

ABSTRACT

Aim: The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) asa measure to control caries at public schools in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil, discussing the importanceof the promotion of individual and collective health and (2) to evaluate the longevity of ARTrestorations in the first six months after placement. Methods: The sample consisted of 173schoolchildren aged 5 to 10 years from public schools in Piracicaba, treated according to ARTapproach and reassessed after six months. Results: It could be observed that after ART, a largepart of the students initially fitted into risk E classification (high caries risk) were reclassified into riskB classification (moderate caries), characterized by the presence of restored teeth only (cariesfree teeth; c = 0). In addition, 81.78% success rate was obtained after six months of ART.Conclusions: ART was considered effective in health promotion programs, given its importanceas a measure to control caries in schoolchildren.