Deep carious lesions management in children and adolescents: a questionnaire survey among dentists practicing paediatric dentistry in France

Abstract

While many questionnaire surveys have been undertaken worldwide to investigate practices toward deep carious lesion (DCL) management in adults, very few are related to children and adolescents. The present cross-sectional study aimed to assess DCL management in children and adolescents among dentists practicing paediatric dentistry in France (Fr-DPPDs). The secondary objective was to compare practices between Fr-DPPDs and dentists registered in the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (EAPD). A questionnaire was electronically administrated to members of the CEOP (College des Enseignants en Odontologie Pediatrique), the SFOP (Societe Francaise d’Odontologie Pediatrique), and the EAPD. Descriptive analyses, Chi-square and McNemar tests, ANOVA, crude and adjusted binary logistic regression analyses were performed. A total of 99 Fr-DPPDs and 146 EAPD members answered the questionnaire. Among the Fr-DPPDs, the preferred caries removal (CR) methods were the complete CR in one step for primary teeth and mature permanent teeth (respectively, 70% and 48%) and in two steps for immature permanent teeth (39%). EAPD members were more likely, than Fr-DPPDs, to choose selective CR versus complete CR in primary teeth (odds ratio = 2.60; 95% CI 1.39–4.85). Moreover, for primary or immature permanent teeth, general practitioners were less likely to choose selective CR than specialists and exclusive practitioners in paediatric dentistry, (p < 0.001). Tooth type [primary, permanent (immature or mature)] seemed to influence DCL management. Fr-DPPS should prioritise pulpal vitality when managing DCL.