[Residual caries and prosthetic treatment]

The aim of this study was to assess the extent to which residual caries causing pulpal lesions may affect the prosthetic treatment success. Two hundred and twenty-three teeth were observed prior to prosthetic grinding and 15 months after the prosthetic appliance cementation. Study subjects were divided into three groups: group I consisting of 75 intact teeth, group II including 95 teeth where old fillings were removed, and group III with 53 teeth where old fillings were not removed prior to grinding for prosthetic treatment. Results showed pulp to be affected by disease in 24 or 10.76% of cases in total. Intact teeth were affected in 5 or 6.67% of cases, and those with replaced fillings in 8 or 8.24% of cases. These results were statistically significant (P greater than 0.05). Differences in pulp damage between the group with removed fillings and that where the existing fillings were not removed, and between the group where fillings were not removed and that of intact teeth, were statistically significant (P less than 0.05), suggesting that undetected residual caries under old fillings should be added to the known and described causes leading to failure of prosthetic dental treatment. Therefore, it appears quite desirable to replace old fillings prior to prosthetic treatment of the teeth.