ATRAUMATIC RESTORATIVE TREATMENT (ART) - A 3-YEAR COMMUNITY FIELD TRIAL IN THAILAND - SURVIVAL OF ONE-SURFACE RESTORATIONS IN THE PERMANENTDENTITION

This study compares the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment(ART) techniqu e to conventional amalgam restorations in the management of dental car ies. The present report is limited to the results for one-surface rest orations in the permanent dentition over a three-year period. A commun ity field trial was carried out in rural villages in northeastern Thai land. Dental caries was treated using the ART technique in one village where 144 persons were treated with 241 restorations. In a second vil lage, 205 conventional amalgam restorations were provided to 138 perso ns using mobile dental equipment Both ART and amalgam restorations wer e performed by one dentist and two dental nurses without administering local anesthesia. Clinical evaluation was carried out one, two, and t hree years after placement The longevity of the restorations was deter mined by computing the estimated cumulative survival rates according t o the life table method. The survival rates of ART restorations (93%, 83%, 71% in years one, two, and three, respectively) were close to tho se for amalgam restorations (98%, 34%, 85%); however, differences were statistically significant No statistically significant differences we re observed between ART restorations in children and adults, or betwee n those placed by the dentist and dental nurses. Survival rates were l ower for occlusal surface restorations compared to those in other surf aces. ART is a feasible approach for the management of dental caries, especially for one-surface lesions in the permanent dentition. Because of its simplicity as a minimal intervention technique, ART can make t he control of dental caries available to all people irrespective of th eir economic and living conditions.