DENTAL HEALTH...ATRAUMATIC RESTORATIVE TECHNIQUE

DENTAL HEALTH…ATRAUMATIC RESTORATIVE TECHNIQUE

Apr 23, 2017 News

By Dr. NerominiFagu
Providing dental care can be very challenging in remote areas where equipment and electricity is unavailable. This is especially so when it comes to restorative treatment. Most of the time doing a filling requires the use of electrical equipment for the removal of decay and preparation of the tooth for a restoration.
The use of atraumatic restorative technique (ART) was introduced in the 1980’s in Tanzania and was then followed by several community field trials in Thailand, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. ART was developed primarily for use in community and school-based programmes.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) defines ART as “a dental caries treatment procedure involving the removal of soft, demineralized tooth tissue using hand instruments alone, followed by restoration of the tooth with an adhesive restorative material, routinely glass ionomer”.
ART is considered as an acceptable treatment for dental caries when traditional cavity preparation and the placement of traditional dental restorations are not possible. It may also be used in the management of caries for adolescents, adults and persons with special health care needs.
ART is a simple and affordable way to provide difficult-to-reach populations with needed dental service. It is a way of treating small and medium sized decay in order to repair a tooth that would otherwise have to be extracted if left untreated. The treatment does not require any sophisticated equipment or numbing of the tooth. The materials for the restorations are very economical as they cost less than amalgam and composite fillings. They also contain fluoride to guard against future decay.
ART is indicated for situations involving decay that has not reached the pulp and are accessible to hand instruments. It is not used as treatment if there is an abscess near the tooth or if there is pulpal exposure of the tooth.
The procedure itself is very straightforward. Hand instruments are needed and they include mirrors, probes, tweezers, and excavators. Hatchets are used to access underlying carious dentine and the removal of unsupported demineralized enamel. Sharp excavators aid in the removal of soft necrotic dentine and the exposure of the harder tissue at the dentino-enamel junction.
It is not necessary to remove all softened, minimally infected, and sensitive dentine in close proximity to the dental pulp if there are no signs and symptoms of pulpitis.
After removing the carious tooth material with hand instruments, the cavity is cleaned and then conditioned with a special substance. The cavity is then filled with a conventional high viscosity self-hardening filling material which is placed in close contact with the cavity walls. The excess material is then pressed firmly into the cavity and adjacent enamel fissures with a lubricated gloved finger. Then the occlusion is adjusted and the restoration sealed with a varnish.
Because there is no use of local anesthetic, fear and anxiety of treatments are significantly lower in patients who receive ART therapy compared to conventional therapy.
The glass ionomer material will continue to release fluoride after setting which has the added advantage of arresting and preventing caries around the restorations. Past studies have shown the improvements in oral health achieved in both the primary and permanent dentitions of children when the ART approach has been used.
ART is a very simple restorative technique, which causes no pain to the patient. The approach requires minimal cavity preparation that conserves sound tooth tissues and causes less trauma to teeth. The glass ionomer filling material bonds to the tooth and contains fluoride to prevent further decay.
It is ideal for conditions in which traditional treatment options are not possible. It is a friendly procedure where no electric drills or anesthetic injections are necessary making it ideal for use among children, fearful adults, physically and mentally handicapped, and the elderly.

For more information contact OMNI DENTAL at 295 Quamina Street, Georgetown Tel: 227-0025, Parika Tel: 260-3133 or send emails to nerominifagu@hotmail.com.

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