Clinical and biological criteria for carious tissue removal

Abstract

Carious dentin removal is a very important procedure during restorative treatment. However, the criteria used are still not well defined. To guide the professionals regarding this aspect, several me- thods and technical resources were suggested like, for example, the using of consistency or coloration as clinical parameters, besides the using of carious tissue dye. The use of these parameters, however, has showed to be ineffective for the identification of the tissue which needs to be removed. Among the biological aspects considered du- ring carious tissue removal, the maintenance of deeper portions of carious cavity and its subse- quent sealing, avoiding the lesion progression has been suggested. Nevertheless, the limits of this preservation are still not well stablished. Key words: dental caries, resto- rative treatment, carious dentin, cavity preparation.