A new method for deep caries treatment in primary teeth using ozone: a retrospective study

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a new protocol for deep caries treatment in deciduous teeth based on: 1) the incomplete removal of carious dentin tissue; 2) the use of new technology (ozone) for the disinfection of carious dentine; 3) the creation of a peripheral seal in healthy tissue for bonding procedures with rubber dam isolation. From a personal database, authors selected 50 consecutive patients (28 males, 22 females; mean age 5.8 ± 1.7 years) in whom this new protocol was applied on posterior deciduous molars, for a total of 94 restorations. Regular follow- ups were performed at 3, 6 and 12 months by a second operator, who was asked to rate each restoration as success or failure. The success rate at 12 months was 93,62% (n. 88/94 restorations), similar to that reported in the literature for pulpotomy. The deciduous teeth considered for this study, if treated conventionally, would have probably been subjected to pulpotomy, because of the extension of the carious lesions. The proposed protocol, through the use of ozone, proved to be an excellent alternative, with the fundamental advantage of saving dental tissue and preventing the invasion of the pulp chamber.