No additional benefit of using a calcium hydroxide liner during stepwise caries removal: A randomized clinical trial.
Clinicians often use calcium hydroxide liners during stepwise treatment of advanced caries. In this randomized clinical trial, the authors compared the short-term outcome of stepwise caries removal with and without use of a calcium hydroxide liner in conjunction with provisional resin-modified glass ionomer (RMGI) restorations.



The authors included in the trial 98 patients aged 15 to 30 years who had a deep carious lesion in a posterior tooth. The authors measured the dentin thickness radiographically and recorded its color, consistency, and moisture, as well as the bacterial count of the lesions. After partial caries removal, the authors assigned patients randomly to have their caries provisionally restored using RMGI with (control group) or without (test group) a calcium hydroxide liner. The primary outcome measure was tooth vitality after 90 days. Secondary outcomes included changes in dentinal, radiographic, and microbiological characteristics of the lesions.



The authors found no statistically significant difference between the test and control groups in tooth vitality after 90 days. Irrespective of calcium hydroxide liner use, the authors observed darker, harder, drier, and less contaminated dentin after the provisional restorations, but dentin thickness remained unchanged.



On the basis of this 3-month clinical trial's results, the use of a calcium hydroxide liner during stepwise caries excavation and provisional restoration did not provide any additional benefit.



After 3 months, using a calcium hydroxide liner does not appear to offer any additional benefit when clinicians use RMGI provisional restorations during stepwise caries removal. Longer studies are needed to confirm these results.
Maria Auxiliadora
MA
Pereira
Reginaldo Batista Dos
RBD
Santos-Júnior
Johnny Alexandre
JA
Tavares
Alaíde Hermínia
AH
Oliveira
Pollyana Caldeira
PC
Leal
Wilton Mitsunari
WM
Takeshita
Antônio Márcio
AM
Barbosa-Júnior
Luiz Eduardo Braga
LEB
Bertassoni
André Luis
AL
Faria-E-Silva
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D003736:Dental Cavity Lining / Q000379:methods*; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011861:Radiography, Dental; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D002126:Calcium Hydroxide
Randomized controlled clinical trials; caries; glass ionomer cements