Study finds no evidence to suggest fillings are more successful in treating tooth decay
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- Published: Thursday, 05 December 2019 07:40
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A three-year trial from the University of Dundee, comparing three treatment strategies for tooth decay in children’s teeth found no evidence to suggest that conventional fillings are more successful than sealing decay into teeth, or using preventive methods alone. The study, named the FiCTION trial, has recently been reported in ScienceDaily.
Findings suggest that preventing tooth decay from occurring in the first place is the most effective way for parents to help avoid pain and infection from decay in their children’s teeth. 43% of those participating in the study experienced toothache or dental infection regardless of the treatment received.
The three-year study comparing three different treatment options for tooth decay in children’s teeth, led by dentists from the Universities of Dundee, Newcastle, Sheffield, Cardiff, Queen Mary University of London and Leeds, has found no evidence to suggest that conventional fillings are more effective than sealing decay into teeth, or using prevention techniques alone, in stopping pain and infection from tooth decay in primary teeth.
The FiCTION trial, the largest of its kind to date, also found that 450 children who took part in the study experienced tooth decay and pain, regardless of which kind of dental treatment they received.
Professor Nicola Innes, Chair of Paediatric Dentistry at the University of Dundee and lead author on the paper, said: "Our study shows that each way of treating decay worked to a similar level but that children who get tooth decay at a young age have a high chance of experiencing toothache and abscesses regardless of the way the dentist manages the decay. What is absolutely clear from our trial is that the best way to manage tooth decay is not by drilling it out or sealing it in -- it’s by preventing it in the first place."
During the study, more than 1,140 children between the ages of three and seven with visible tooth decay were recruited by dentists working in one of 72 dental clinics throughout the country. One of three treatment approaches was then chosen randomly for each child’s dental care for the duration of the trial, which was up to three years.
The main trial findings, published in the Journal of Dental Research found no evidence to suggest that any of the treatment strategies were better than another in terms of making a difference in children’s experience of pain or infection, quality of life or dental anxiety between groups. All three different ways of treating decay were acceptable to children, parents and dental professionals.
Professor Anne Maguire, Chair of Preventive Dentistry at Newcastle University and one of the co-chief investigators said, "The FiCTION findings have focused attention again on the need to prevent dental decay before it begins but also provided some reassurance that if decay does develop in a child’s mouth, there are a number of treatment options available which can be tailored to the clinical and behavioural needs of an individual child."
Scotland’s Chief Dental Officer, Tom Ferris, said, "FiCTION highlights the importance of preventing tooth decay in our youngest children. I believe the key to success in prevention lies within families and communities; for this reason, Scottish Government launched the Oral Health Community Challenge Fund for Third Sector organisations working alongside families living in our most disadvantaged areas. The activities from these projects complement our mainstream Childsmile work in education and health settings."
The FICTION study was funded by the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme of the National Instit11/26/2019ute for Health Research (NIHR).
Story Sources:
ScienceDaily https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191127090204.htm. Original written by Dominic Glasgow.
Child Caries Management: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Dental Practice. Journal of Dental Research, 2019; 002203451988888 DOI: 10.1177/0022034519888882
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