The effect of magnification on the iatrogenic damage to adjacent tooth surfaces during class II preparation.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the amount of damage to adjacent surfaces during cavity preparation of approximal box-cavities by using either no magnification or an individually adapted surgical telescope.


METHODS
Nine dentists prepared in a mannequin head 4 approximal (class II) box-cavities without magnification using a high speed handpiece with lighting from a dental unit. At least 2 months later the test was repeated with a surgical telescope system with integrated light. The degree of damage the 72 adjacent surfaces suffered was determined.


RESULTS
The average time needed to prepare one cavity was 14.9min without and 18.3min with magnification (p=0.01). Altogether, 29.7% of adjacent area were damaged when no surgical telescopes were used and 34.5% when surgical telescopes were applied (p>0.05). When the mesial-facing and distal-facing surfaces were analysed independently a statistically significant increase of damage was found on distal surfaces (p=0.03) when using surgical telescopes. Seventy surfaces (=97%) had a preparation trauma.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical telescopes do not decrease damage of adjacent tooth surfaces.
Department of Operative, Preventive and Paediatric Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. adrian.lussi@zmk.unibe.ch
Adrian
A
Lussi
Otmar
O
Kronenberg
Brigitte
B
Megert
D000328:Adult; D003737:Dental Cavity Preparation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000293:injuries; D003754:Dental High-Speed Equipment / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007909:Lenses; D008029:Lighting / Q000295:instrumentation; D008348:Manikins; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D019237:Tooth Cervix / Q000293:injuries; D019228:Tooth Crown / Q000293:injuries; D018677:Tooth Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology*