Abstract
Given the limitations of adjunct caries detection and diagnostic tools, e.g., imperfect validity and reproducibility, as well as the difficulties in controlling all possible confounding factors, the need for an objective visual caries detection and diagnosis system has become evident. Our work has therefore aimed at systematizing caries lesions with the Universal Visual Scoring System (UniViSS) for occlusal and smooth surface lesions, which can be used for primary and permanent teeth, as well as under clinical, epidemiological, public health and laboratory conditions. Besides the description of the development and methodology of UniViSS, it is shown that UniViSS allows an accurate and reproducible classification of caries lesions on occlusal surfaces.
Highlights
Visual caries detection and diagnosis is a key area for each dental practitioners, epidemiologists, teachers and scientists
The methodical development of Universal Visual Scoring System (UniViSS) took into consideration basic diagnostic principles and well-accepted caries detection and diagnostic criteria, e.g., WHO basic methods [1], the criteria given by Ekstrand et al [3], Nyvad et al [4], as well as the recently introduced ICDAS criteria [5,6]
The development of UniViSS was mainly influenced by the results of previous epidemiological and diagnostic caries studies by the authors [2,9,10,12,13,14,21,22,23], the huge data base of high-quality photographs from caries lesions, the clinical experience of the authors as well as the empirical data obtained during the tests on practicability
Summary
Visual caries detection and diagnosis is a key area for each dental practitioners, epidemiologists, teachers and scientists. While the application of the WHOś DMF index [1] as a basic oral health measure will continue, due to its worldwide acceptance, its convenience and the possibility to compare past dental data with future findings, due to their high frequency there is a strong need to consider non-cavitated caries lesions as a relevant dental health indicator [2] As such lesions will not be registered with the DMF index, new and more precise visual caries detection and diagnostic methods should be used to record the overall dental health status of a patient. These clinical experiences, as well as the fact that adjunct diagnostic methods, e.g., laser fluorescence measurements, electrical resistance measurements and quantitative light-induced fluorescence measurements do not perform as satisfactorily on non-cavitated occlusal surfaces as was hoped [10,11,12,13,14] constitute the main drivers for the development of the Universal Visual
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