Dj. Hodges et al., RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GAP WIDTH AND RECURRENT DENTAL-CARIES BENEATH OCCLUSAL MARGINS OF AMALGAM RESTORATIONS, Community dentistry and oral epidemiology, 23(4), 1995, pp. 200-204
Citations number
15
Categorie Soggetti
Dentistry,Oral Surgery & Medicine","Public, Environmental & Occupation Heath
This study examines the relationship between gap width and the presenc
e of recurrent dental caries subjacent to occlusal margins of amalgam
restorations, The study population consisted of 35 adult patients of t
he university's dental clinic who were having occlusal amalgam restora
tions removed solely because of defective margins. In this group, an i
mpression was made recording the width of a clinically detected gap be
tween the amalgam restoration and the adjacent enamel cavosurface. Of
this study population, 20 teeth with recurrent caries were identified
from 18 subjects after restoration removal. Upon removal of the restor
ation, the presence and location of recurrent dental caries associated
with a margin was noted. The mean gap widths of recurrent carious sit
es and non-carious sites were compared in the same tooth. A difference
of 187 mu m was found between the mean gap width of the recurrent car
ies sites and the non-carious sites, with the recurrent caries gaps be
ing wider. A paired t-test based on the differences was calculated (P
< 0.0001). The results suggest that there is a direct association betw
een gap width and recurrent caries in occlusal margins of amalgam rest
orations.