A review of atraumatic restorative treatment (ART)

The purpose of this paper was to critically analyse the results obtained wi th the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) technique. The ART approach i nvolves the excavation of cavitated carious lesions with hand instruments a nd restoration of the cavities and associated pits and fissures with a glas s ionomer restorative material. The clinical trial outcomes involving ART i nclude retention rates, cost effectiveness, operative sensitivity, and the effect of personnel with different educational backgrounds involved in this alternative operative treatment. Comparative studies involving permanent a nd deciduous teeth using amalgam and glass ionomer sealants have also been included in the same projects. Specially defined clinical criteria have bee n used to evaluate the results. ART offers an opportunity for restorative d ental treatment under field conditions where no electricity is available. T hree-year data have been published, but long term studies using relevant co mparison alternatives are lacking. ART has so far been largely employed on populations with a low DMFT. The technique should also be applied to high r isk patients with rampant caries before the maximal benefit of the treatmen t can be ascertained.