Atraumatic Restorative Treatment-ART in Babies: Four-year Randomized Clinical Trial

Objectives: to evaluate the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment – ART effectiveness in babies affected by Early Childhood Caries – ECC after a four years period, and to compare the clinical properties of Atraumatic Restorative Treatment – ART of two different Glass Ionomer Cement – GIC's: Ketac Molar Easy Mix® (3M ESPE) and Vitro Molar®(DFL). Methods: cohort of a randomized clinical trial, double-blind, split mouth. The initial sample was composed by 100 deciduous molars with oclusal caries of 25 children with ages between 18 and 36 months who were treated with ART of two different GIC's. The clinical evaluations were made by a trained, blinded and calibrated examiner in one, two and four years (ART and USPHS criteria). To realize the analyses of the general clinical parameters of ART's, using the percentage of success between the different GIC's, it was used the Chi-Square test. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the individual clinical parameter between the materials, observing the statistic significance of p < 0, 05. Results: in the evaluation of a four years period, the sample was constituted by 76 ART's and 19 children, and 94,7% of them got inactive caries and low Visible Plaque Index and Gingival Bleeding. The total percentage of success of ART's was 94,8%, 87,9% and 82,3% in one, two and four years period, respectively. Between the GIC's studied, Vitro Molar® (DFL) got a better clinical result in the three evaluations, but there is no significant statistic difference. Conclusions: the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment – ART was effective in the management of early childhood caries, with a very promising clinical result of the ART restorations, with both GIC's, after the four years period.