United Kingdom Two-year results of management of dental decay with ozone

Abstract J. HOLMES, Queen's University of Belfast, & UKSmiles Berkshire

Ozone has been shown to clinically reverse primary root carious lesions and early occlusal fissure caries. This study aimed to assess the use of Ozone to manage fissure caries in a general dental practice. Objectives: This study assessed the effect of a novel ozone delivery system1 on primary occlusal fissure carious lesions from December 2001 to December 2003. Methods: 278 patients in a general dental practice were entered with over 1,200 primary occlusal fissure carious lesions. After randomisation, 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. The DIAGNOdent2 was employed to objectively quantify primary occlusal fissure carious lesions. After 6, 12, 18 and 24 months, patients were recalled and clinically re-assessed. The DIAGNOdent2 was again employed to objectively quantify the primary occlusal fissure carious lesions. Results: After 24 months, 221 patients, (932 lesions) had been recalled for re-evaluation. There were no observed adverse events. 99% of the ozone treated primary occlusal fissure carious lesions had clinically reversed based on the DIAGNOdent readings (P<0.001). The control primary occlusal fissure carious lesions, which had not received any ozone treatment, did not significantly change. Conclusions: This treatment regime using ozone may be considered to be an effective alternative to conventional "drilling and filling" for primary occlusal fissure carious lesions in general dental practice.