Evaluation of Carisolv in the Chemico-Mechanical Removal of Carious Dentine in Primary Molars (In vivo study)

Abstract

Caries removal by the Chemo-mechanical technique involves the application of chemical agents, to cause a selective softening of the carious dentine and facilitate removal by gentle excavation. Carisolv is one such new chemical agent used in this minimal invasive technique of carious dentine removal. The aims of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Carisolv in the chemo-mechanical removal of carious dentine in primary teeth, the time taken for caries removal and to evaluate the restorations radiographically. Forty primary 1st and 2nd molars with dentinal carious lesions were excavated using this technique of caries removal. After isolation of the involved tooth, the Carisolv " new gel" marketed by Mediteam Dental AB (Goteborg, Sweden) was applied then the superficial softened carious dentine was gently excavated and scraped using a spoon excavator, the procedure repeated until the cavity was free from caries and the cavity was checked for remaining caries using an explorer. The time taken for the removal of carious dentine, beginning from the application of the gel until the completion of the procedure was evaluated using a stopwatch. After the placement of the restoration an intra-oral periapical radiograph was taken for immediate evaluation and after a period of six months, the longevity of the restorations and the presence of secondary caries at the restoration- dentine interface were evaluated radiographically. The statistical analysis of the results showed that the soft carious dentine was removed more effectively than the hard carious dentine and the removal of the soft carious dentine required a shorter period of time (4.96±0.99) minutes when compared to the removal of hard carious dentine (6.09±1.04) minutes and on radiographic evaluation of the restoration, none of the treated lesions showed the presence of secondary caries. In conclusion, the chemico-mechanical caries removal technique using Carisolv proved to be an effective atraumatic treatment modality with potential interest for use in clinical pediatric dentistry.