Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109700

Jo E. Frencken, DDS, MSc, PhD, WHO Collaborating Centre for Oral Health Care and Future Scenarios, Philips van Leijdenlaan 25, 6515 EX Nijmegen, Netherlands, 31-24-361-4029, J.Frencken@dent.umcn.nl

ART stands for Atraumatic Restorative Treatment. It is a maximally preventive and minimally invasive caries management approach that uses hand instruments for widening cavity openings if required, and for cleaning cavities. Adhesive dental materials, usually glass ionomers, are used to restore cavities and to produce preventive sealants. ART restorations and sealants can be applied everywhere as no electricity nor running water is required. Experiences have shown that local anaesthesia is seldom asked for by children and adults and that, therefore, ART is very much accepted by people in both developed and developing countries. The rational underlying ART is based on contemporary cariological and material science. A growing number of, predominantly, field studies have been carried out in a large number of countries worldwide over the last 15 years. This presentation discusses the results of a meta-analysis on the survival of single-surface ART restorations in deciduous and permanent teeth, one on the retentive and caries preventive effect of ART sealants and one on the comparison between single-surface ART and amalgam restorations. The ART approach has made the provision of oral health care mobile which means that many more people than ever before are able to receive quality oral care if sufficient professionals are available and are prepared to accept and apply this patient-friendly caries management approach when approapriate.

Learning Objectives:

• The participant understands the rational behind the ART approach and has a good knowledge of the results of the various meta-analyses on aspects of the ART approach.

Keywords: Oral Health, Therapies

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.