ART acceptability in children: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Aim: to compare the acceptability of the ART and the conventional restoration approaches in children. Material and methods: The sample of the current randomized clinical trial was 30 children 4 to 7 years old who had at least one class II active cavity in a primary molar that was accessible to hand instruments. The treatment groups were: Control Group- treatment with local anesthesia, rubber dam, rotary instruments and composite resin. Test Group- treatment according to ART approach using only hand instruments, no anesthesia and glass ionomer. In both groups, only the demineralized carious tissue and unsupported enamel were removed. The acceptability of the two groups was assessed by measuring the emotional feelings represented by Face Image Scale (FIS) before and after the procedure. Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding changes in FIS scores. Fifty percent of the children from the Test Group got more satisfied after the procedure, while 64% of the participants from Control Group did not change their feelings. Conclusion: The ART approach had not demonstrated to have a best acceptability then the conventional approach. However the short time taken to complete the procedure seems to be worthy aspects when dealing with very young children or patients with behaviors problems.