Effect of ozone on non-cavitated fissure carious lesions in permanent molars. A controlled prospective clinical study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate, with a randomized controlled clinical study, the effect of ozone on non-cavitated initial occlusal fissure caries compared with untreated contra-lateral control lesions (split mouth) considering the patient's current caries risk.


METHODS
Forty-one patients with 57 pairs of lesions were enrolled in the study (mean age 7.7 +/- 2.2 years; upper jaw n=29, lower jaw n=28). Gaseous ozone (HealOzone) was applied once for 40 seconds to the randomly assigned test molar of each pair without the use of remineralizing solutions. Lesion progression or reversal was monitored by the laser fluorescence system DIAGNOdent for up to 3 months and the deterioration or improvement compared between the ozone-treated lesions and the untreated control lesions (in pairs). This was done for the whole study population and a subgroup of patients with high current caries risk (lesion pairs n=26).


RESULTS
After 3 months, explorative data analysis revealed that the ozone-treated lesions showed significantly more caries reversal or reduced caries progression than the untreated control lesions within the group of patients at high current caries risk (Wilcoxon-Test, P= 0.035). There was no statistical significance examining the whole study population. From the data it can be concluded that ozone application significantly improved non-cavitated initial fissure caries in patients at high caries risk over a 3-month period.
Huth
Karin Christine
KC
Department of Restorative Dentistry and Periodontology, Dental School, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Goethe Street 70, D-80336 Munich, Germany. khuth@dent.med.uni-muenchen.de
Paschos
Ekaterini
E
Brand
Korbinian
K
Hickel
Reinhard
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D003732:Dental Caries Activity Tests; D003750:Dental Fissures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D010083:Oxidants, Photochemical / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010126:Ozone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016037:Single-Blind Method
D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D010083:Oxidants, Photochemical; D010126:Ozone