BACKGROUND

Occlusal and root surface caries forms the largest percentage, up to 70%, of new carious lesions seen in general dental practice, with inter-dental caries forming some 15 % of all new cases. Traditional approaches to the diagnosis, management and treatment of occlusal caries have changed over the last 20 years, but at present it still consists of amputation therapy. That is where areas of diseased tissue are cut out, and replaced with some type of filing material or restoration. The dental profession has needed an alternative to this amputation therapy, and recent research has pointed the way towards a novel treatment with ozone. There have been many advances in dental materials over the last 150 years, from gold foil, to packable amalgam and anaesthetics. Moreover, with the introduction of adhesive systems, a whole new range of restorative materials and techniques has been made available to the dental profession. Nevertheless, every advance in the material technology has started from the premise of prior caries removal, or tissue amputation. The dental profession has never had a system where caries can be left to remineralise predictably before some type of restorative system is placed, that would minimise tissue loss and patient trauma. Current research with ozone has opened up a whole range of potential treatment protocols. The new treatment protocols do not require removal of the diseased or carious tissue. Published papers have shown that after ozone treatment for just 10 seconds, debris and bacteria impacted in a fissure can mineralise, ‘sealing ’ a fissure against potential decay