A 2-day workshop of ORCA and the IADR Cariology Research Group was organized to discuss and reach consensus on definitions of the most commonly used terms in cariology. The aims were to identify and to select the most commonly used terms of dental caries and dental caries management and to define them based on current concepts. Terms related to definition, diagnosis, risk assessment, and monitoring of dental caries were included. The Delphi process was used to establish terms to be considered using the nominal group method favored by consensus. Of 222 terms originally suggested by six cariologists from different countries, a total of 59 terms were reviewed after removing duplicates and unnecessary words. Sixteen experts in cariology took part in the process of reaching consensus about the definitions of the selected caries terms. Decisions were made following thorough “round table” discussions of each term and confirmed by secret electronic voting. Full agreement (100%) was reached on 17 terms, while the definitions of 6 terms were below the agreed 80% threshold of consensus. The suggested terminology is recommended for use in research, in public health, as well as in clinical practice.

This laboratory study of 100 occlusal surfaces investigated the reproducibility and accuracy of a visual ranked caries scoring system, an electronic caries scoring system (ECM) using a continuous conductance scale, and a radiographic ranked caries scoring system. Histological examination of the teeth served as a gold standard to validate the ability of each system to assess lesion depth and predict softened, demineralized dentine. After training, 3 examiners carried out each scoring system on two separate occasions. Kappa values for visual, ECM and radiographic ranked scoring systems showed good inter- and intra-examiner reproducibility levels and acceptable limits of agreement for ECM readings. When scoring systems were tabulated against histological scores there was a high correlation between the visual and ECM methods and lesion depth in both enamel and dentine, but radiographic examination could not detect enamel caries. When compared to the histological scoring, the Spearman correlation coefficients for the visual scoring ranged between 0.87 and 0.93, for the ECM between 0.80 and 0.85 and for the radiographic scoring system between 0.76 and 0.78. No tooth scored as visually sound had histological evidence of dentine caries. Soft dentine corresponded to demineralization involving the middle third of the dentine or more which was related to visual cavity formation or an ECM reading above 9 (score 3 or 4). The radiograph was an excellent predictor of soft dentine. In conclusion, the new visual system appears promising, but takes time to learn. The reproducibility and accuracy for the ECM is acceptable while radiographs miss early occlusal lesions.

Clinical Relevance: The results from this study indicate that it is possible to predict lesion depth and assess the activity of primary coronal caries lesions accurately by using the combined knowledge obtained from the visual appearance, location of the lesion and tactile sensation during probing.

To investigate the effect of a chewing gum containing probiotic bacteria on gingival inflammation and the levels of selected inflammatory mediators in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). Forty-two healthy adults with moderate levels of gingival inflammation entered a double-blind placebo-controlled study design. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of three parallel arms: Group A/P was given one active and one placebo gum daily, Group A/A received two active chewing gums, and Group P/P two placebo gums. The chewing gums contained two strains of Lactobacillus reuteri: ATCC 55730 and ATCC PTA 5289 (1 x 10(8) CFU/gum, respectively). The subjects were instructed to chew the gums for 10 min over the course of 2 weeks. Bleeding on probing (BOP) and GCF sampling were conducted at baseline and after 1, 2 and 4 weeks. The levels of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 were determined using luminex technology and multiplex immunoassay kits. BOP improved and GCF volume decreased in all groups during the chewing period, but the results were statistically significant (p<0.05) only in Groups A/P and A/A. The levels of TNF-alpha and IL-8 decreased significantly (p<0.05) in Group A/A compared with baseline after 1 and 2 weeks, respectively. A non-significant decreasing tendency was also observed concerning IL-1beta during the chewing period. The levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were unaffected in all groups after 1 and 2 weeks. The reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines in GCF may be proof of principle for the probiotic approach combating inflammation in the oral cavity.

We aimed to perform a systematic review including a meta-analysis to evaluate the overall accuracy of visual methods for detecting carious lesions and to identify possible sources of heterogeneity among the studies included. Two reviewers searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and other sources through July 2014 to identify published and nonpublished studies in English. Studies of visual inspection were included that 1) assessed accuracy of the method in detecting caries lesions; 2) were performed on occlusal, proximal, or free smooth surfaces in primary or permanent teeth; 3) had a reference standard; and 4) reported sufficient data about sample size and accuracy of methods. The data were used to calculate the pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, and summary receiver operating characteristics curve. Heterogeneity of the studies was also assessed. A total of 102 manuscripts (from 5,808 articles initially identified) and 1 abstract (from 168) met the inclusion criteria. In general, the analysis demonstrated that the visual method had good accuracy for detecting caries lesions. Although laboratory and clinical studies have presented similar accuracy, clinically obtained specificity was higher. We also observed moderate to high heterogeneity and evidence of publication bias in most papers. Moreover, studies employing widely recognized visual scoring systems presented significantly better accuracy as compared to studies that used their own criteria. In conclusion, visual caries detection method has good overall performance. Furthermore, although the identified studies had high heterogeneity and risk of bias, the use of detailed and validated indices seems to improve the accuracy of the method.

The aims of the present study were to investigate the ability of 3 experienced clinicians to detect occlusal carious lesions, assess their depth, diagnose their activity and define a logical management for each lesion. The material consisted of 35 third molars scheduled for extraction or surgical removal making it possible to validate the accuracy of the clinical recordings histologically. Examinations were carried out at baseline and after 4 months in order to monitor lesion progression. At the first visit a radiograph was taken; the number of filled surfaces was counted and the oral hygiene assessed generally and by disclosing occlusal plaque of the tooth under examination. After cleaning the occlusal surface caries was recorded in a selected investigation site using a visual ranked caries scoring system, as well as an electrical conductance recording (ECM). Apart from counting fillings and taking new radiographs the same procedure was performed at the second visit, which then was followed by extraction of the tooth. After sectioning the tooth lesion depth was recorded, and lesion activity, based on acid production, was assessed using methyl red dye. Lesion activity was also judged by means of polarized light microscopic examinations of the sections. Results showed strong relationships between the visual, ECM and radiographic assessments and both lesion depth and lesion activity. In contrast, all other parameters were poorly related to lesion activity. Changes in visual assessments and in conductance readings from first to second examination were poorly associated with lesion activity. In conclusion, clinicians are able to detect lesions, predict activity and severity and define a logical management of occlusal caries on the basis of a single examination.