Managing caries: the need to close the gap between the evidence base and current practice

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Cariology
• Public Health

Background:

• Evolving understanding of dental caries aetiology and advancements in dental materials support minimally invasive approaches.
• Minimal intervention dentistry principles are increasingly recognized for managing dental caries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the evidence for less invasive caries management strategies.
• To assess the adoption of these strategies in dental practice.
• To identify methods for bridging the gap between evidence and practice.

Main Methods:

• This study is a narrative review of existing literature.
• It examines the evidence supporting less invasive caries management.
• It analyzes factors influencing the adoption of these strategies.

Main Results:

• Despite growing evidence, less invasive caries management is not standard practice globally.
• Clinical studies often focus solely on efficacy, neglecting stakeholder perspectives (dentists, patients, funders).
• A gap exists between the theoretical availability of evidence and practical implementation.

Conclusions:

• Involving diverse stakeholders in study design is crucial for improving the translation of research into practice.
• Future research should investigate stakeholder-prioritized outcomes to address adoption barriers.
• Addressing these factors is essential to narrow the evidence-practice gap in caries management.