J Korean Acad Oral Health.  2014 Jun;38(2):77-81.

Assessing the clinical validity of a new caries activity test using dental plaque acidogenicity

• Jung EH
• Lee ES
• Kang SM
• Kwon HK
• Kim BI

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study was aimed at evaluating the clinical usability of a new caries activity test (Cariview(R)), which was based on the acidogenic potential of plaque by evaluating it's correlation with the DMFT index and comparing the results of Cariview(R) with those of previous caries activity tests in an adult group.
METHODS
Teeth of 74 subjects were examined, and the DMFT index was calculated according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria to determine the past caries experience. Caries activity tests were performed according to manufacturer's instructions. For Cariview(R) test, plaque samples were collected from the tooth surface by using a sterile cotton swab and incubated at 37degrees C for 48 h; an indicator was added to observe the color changes according to the plaque acidogenicity. The subjects were classified into three groups (Low, Moderate, High) according to the level of caries risk. The data were assessed using one-way ANOVA to compare the caries experiences of risk groups according to the caries activity test results, and the relationships between the caries activity tests and the DMFT index were evaluated.
RESULTS
The overall mean DMFT index was 5.70+/-4.42. There was a significant difference in the DMFT index among the caries risk groups (Low, Moderate, High) according to the Cariview(R) test result (P=0.036). Further, there was a positive correlation between the Cariview(R) score and the DMFT index (r=0.23, P=0.047) and between the Cariview(R) score and the previous caries activity tests score (P<0.01).
CONCLUSIONS
The new caries activity test (Cariview(R)) can be easily used at dental clinics and enables precise caries risk assessment.

Keyword

Acidogenicity; Caries activity test; Cariview; Dental plaque; Dentocult SM; Dentocult LB

MeSH Terms

Adult
Dental Clinics
Dental Plaque*
Humans
Risk Assessment
Tooth
World Health Organization

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Cariview® kit (A), Optical analysis using Spectrometer (B), Scales for diagnostic agent of Cariview® (C).

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  Fig. 2. Distribution of Caries Activity Group according to Caries Activity Tests (n=74). Each value represents the number of population (%).

Reference

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