Introduction to Atraumatic Restorative treatment
The atraumatic restorative treatment approach for dental caries is often abbreviated to the acronym ART.
In the ART approach, caries is removed by hand instruments only. The cavity and the pits and fissures in the same tooth surface are then carefully cleaned with a weak acid.
Restorative material that bonds chemically to tooth tissue is applied to the cavity and the pits and fissures of the same surface. In this approach, a restoration and a sealant are obtained in one procedure. It removes the need for expensive dental equipment – no drill, no electricity, just simple hand instruments.
ART is patient – friendly with only a minimal potential for pain.
Infection control is relatively simple, as only a small set of hand instruments is used.
Who benefits from ART ?
1.Remote communities with no dental services.
2.Towns and villages without electricity.
3.Housebound elderly.
4.Elderly living in nursing homes
5.The physically or mentally handicapped.
“Is ART really a new approach?”
The answer is both “yes” and “no”.
No, because for generations dentists have relied on hand instruments only; when equipment was out of order, electricity unavailable or the patient too frightened to accept the normal equipment in the dental office. However, only temporary filling materials were applied which would not last long. Such an approach was seldom studied and publications are hard to find.
And yes, because ART is an innovative approach for several reasons :
- ART is a determined effort to make long lasting restorations with hand instruments only.
- The idea of ART is strongly supported by the modern scientific approach to controlling caries : maximal prevention, minimal invasiveness and minimal cavity preparation. The use of hand instruments alone leads to preservation of tooth structure.
- Recent improvements in restorative materials, the chemical bonding to the tooth and fluoride release by, e.g., glass ionomers have given ART a solid practical basis.
- From the outset, a determined effort has been made to investigate the appropriateness, acceptability and effectiveness of ART
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