Clinical Performance of Art Restorations in Primary Teeth: A Survival Analysis

Objective: To assess the survival of Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) restorations in primary teeth performed in a dental clinical setting. Study Design: One hundred and five single-surface ART restorations placed in 56 preschool children (mean age 31 months) were included. Final-year dental students performed the restorations using standard ART procedures with hand instruments. A resin-modified glass ionomer cement (Vitremer 3M/ESPE) was used as a restorative material. Performances of the restorations were assessed directly by the ART evaluation criteria. Follow-up period ranged from 6 to 48 months. Survival estimates for restoration longevity were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank test (P <=.05) was used to compare the success rates according to demographic and clinical characteristics of the restorations at baseline (age, sex, arch and segment). Results: Mean and median estimate times of survival were 37 (95%CI: 32-42) months and 38 (95% CI: 29-47) months respectively. Success rates for ART restorations were 89%, 85% and 72% in 6 to 11, 12 to 24 and 25 to 48 months of evaluation respectively Differences in success rates among demographic and clinical characteristics were not statistically significant. Conclusion: High survivals rates of the ART restorations found in this study seem to indicate the reliability of this approach as an appropriate treatment option for primary teeth in a clinical setting.