Progression of non-carious cervical lesions: 3D morphological analysis

Area of Science:

• Dental Research
• Biomaterials Science
• Clinical Dentistry

Background:

• Non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) are common dental defects.
• Understanding NCCL progression is crucial for effective treatment strategies.
• Morphological characteristics may influence lesion development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the morphological and quantitative progression of NCCLs.
• To utilize confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and replica models for precise analysis.
• To correlate lesion shape and depth-to-height ratio with progression rates.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of 83 NCCLs in 16 participants over 3-5 years.
• Annual replica models analyzed using CLSM for depth, width, and volume.
• Lesions categorized by shape (wedge, saucer, mixed) and depth-to-height (D/H) ratio.
• Statistical analysis using Fisher's exact test and Cochran-Armitage trend test.

Main Results:

• Saucer-shaped lesions primarily increased in height; wedge-shaped lesions increased in both height and depth.
• Annual progression in depth and volume correlated positively with increasing D/H ratio.
• Lesions with higher baseline depth showed significantly increased annual depth progression.
• Over half of small D/H ratio lesions progressed ≥50 μm in height, but none in depth.

Conclusions:

• NCCL progression patterns differ significantly based on lesion morphology.
• Most NCCLs exhibit slow progression in depth, irrespective of shape.
• NCCLs may exhibit cyclical active and inactive progression phases.