Tunnel restorations placed in routine practice and observed for 24 to 54 months

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and performance of tunnel restorations placed in routine public dental service. A total of 420 small approximal lesions received tunnel restorations 12 general practitioners. Three hundred two restorations in 179 patients were available for e...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inQuintessence international (Berlin, Germany : 1985) Vol. 31; no. 7; p. 453
Main Authors Strand, G V, Nordbø, H, Leirskar, J, von der Fehr, F R, Eide, G E
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Germany 01.07.2000
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Bicuspid
Child
Dental Caries - classification
Dental Caries - therapy
Dental Caries Susceptibility
Dental Cavity Preparation - classification
Dental Cavity Preparation - methods
Dental Restoration Failure
Dental Restoration, Permanent - classification
Dental Restoration, Permanent - methods
Dental Restoration, Permanent - standards
Feasibility Studies
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Molar
Multivariate Analysis
Prognosis
Proportional Hazards Models
Public Health Dentistry
Retreatment
Survival Analysis
Treatment Outcome
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and performance of tunnel restorations placed in routine public dental service. A total of 420 small approximal lesions received tunnel restorations 12 general practitioners. Three hundred two restorations in 179 patients were available for evaluation after a minimum period of 24 months. The restorations were evaluated by modified US Public Health Service criteria. After service periods up to 54 months, 57% of the restorations were found to be clinically and radiographically acceptable. The remainder had already been replaced or were assessed as unacceptable. High levels of carious activity and internal-type preparations resulted in the poorest prognosis. The success rates varied considerably among the operators, but these differences did not reach statistical significance. The indications for use of the tunnel restoration technique for the treatment of primary approximal lesions seem to be limited at present. Partial tunnel restorations may have a somewhat better prognosis than the internal tunnels, but high carious activity has a detrimental effect. Tunnel restorations may be considered for particularly cooperative patients with a low caries rate as a semipermanent treatment for small lesions.
ISSN:0033-6572