Clinical Reversal of Caries Using Ozone.

J. HOLMES. (Adentec & UKSmiles, 3 Old Row Court, Rose Street, Wokingham, Berkshire, UK)

Ozone has been shown to clinically reverse carious lesions. This study aimed to assess the use of ozone to manage caries in a general dental practice.

Objectives: This study assessed the effect of an ozone delivery system on carious lesions over an 18-month period, from July 2001 to December 2002.

Methods: 376 patients in a general dental practice were entered with 2364 carious lesions in 1170 teeth. After randomization, lesions were assigned to either receiving no treatment or ozone treatment. Ozone was applied to each test lesion for 10, 20, 30 or 40 seconds depending on the clinical severity index. The DIAGNOdent was employed to objectively quantify each carious lesion. After 8 weeks, patients were recalled and clinically re-assessed. The DIAGNOdent was again employed to objectively quantify each lesion.

Results: 315 patients had been recalled for re-evaluation to the end December 2002. There were no observed adverse events. 99% of the ozone treated carious lesions (1918 lesions in 978 teeth) had clinically reversed based on the DIAGNOdent readings (P<0.001) at 10 weeks after ozone treatment. Large carious lesions showed reversal over a longer time (3-6 months) interval with multiple applications of ozone required. The control carious lesions, which had not received any ozone treatment, did not significantly change in the study period, or became worse.

Conclusions: This treatment regime using ozone may be considered to be an effective alternative to conventional "drilling and filling" for carious lesions in general dental practice.