Improving clinical visual detection--potential for caries clinical trials.

Area of Science:

• Dental research
• Clinical trials
• Caries diagnosis

Background:

• Traditional caries clinical trials rely on indices like DMF-S/T.
• Historically, early and arrested caries stages were considered unreliable for trials.
• This unreliability stemmed from the perceived difficulty in accurately recording early disease stages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability of diagnosing early and arrested caries stages in clinical trials.
• To determine if these stages can be used as outcome variables to improve trial efficiency.
• To address the historical reservations regarding the inclusion of non-cavitated and arrested lesions in caries research.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent studies demonstrating the ability to differentiate lesion stages (non-cavitated, active, inactive, arrested).
• Assessment of reproducibility data from multiple clinical studies on recording various caries lesion severities.
• Analysis of the implications of slow-developing caries on clinical trial duration and cost.

Main Results:

• Recent research confirms reliable differentiation of non-cavitated occlusal lesion stages.
• Studies show adequate reproducibility in recording initial active, cavitated active, and arrested caries lesions.
• Accurate and reliable clinical diagnosis of early and arrested caries is achievable.

Conclusions:

• The use of early and arrested caries stages as outcome variables in clinical trials is now supported by evidence.
• Incorporating these diagnostic criteria can positively impact trial duration and reduce associated costs.
• This approach enhances the efficiency and economic viability of dental caries clinical research.