Patients Attitudes to Managing Caries with Ozone

H.DOMINGO*, L. ABU-NABA'A, H. AL SHORMAN, C.S MITH, R. FREEMAN and E.LYNCH. (Health and Health Care Research Centre, School of Dentistry, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland.)

Ozone with the HealOzone unit from CurOzon e USA is currently being used as an alternative to local ana esthesia, drilling and filling for the m anage m ent of dental caries. Treatm ent with Ozone is only required for 10 seconds and has been shown to clinically reverse root caries and occlusal fissure caries in double blind clinical trials. Ai m: The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes and dental anxiety of patients to Ozone treatm ent. Methods: Attitudes and dental anxiety were assessed on a 5-point Likert scale. Patients (n=99) who had a carious lesion treated with con ventional drilling and filling within the previous 3 months and who had a similar carious lesio n requiring tre atment by the sam e dentist took part. 100% of patients participated and 100% completed the questionnaire. Results: The results sho wed that 99% of patients were happy or satisfied with the Ozone tre atment they received and 97% were happy or satisfied with the amount of tim e the Ozone treatm ent required. 95% were satisfied to choose this treatm ent even if the Ozone treatment cost m ore than regular treatment, 97% would recommend this treatm ent to a friend or close relative and 100% would like to receiv e this treatm ent again. 99% of subjects were not anxious after the Ozone treatment and reported less anxiety after, compared with before, the Ozone treatm ent. Patients reported a reduction in anxiety associated with the ozone treatment (p <0.05). Conclusions: The results of this survey suggest that patients were happy or satisfied with Ozone treatment to m anage their dental caries and would be happy to even pay more for this treatment than conventional drilling and filling. The Ozone treatment was associated with a reduction in anxiety. Supported by CurOzone USA