Tratamento restaurador atraumático: revisão de literatura

Abstract

Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) is part of minimally invasive dentistry, involving the selective removal of carious dentin with a dentin spoon and sealing the cavity with glass ionomer cement. The aim of this study was to review the literature on aspects of ART. The methodology involved a literature review using the PubMed, Scielo, and CAPES Periodicals databases, with search terms including atraumatic restorative treatment, glass ionomer cement, primary health care, selective dentin removal, and cavity sealing and thirty-two publications were included in this study. ART does not require rotary instruments and can be performed in field settings, outside a dental office. It is well-suited when there are insufficient resources to provide dental care to economically disadvantaged communities. It has also been reported to perform well in the elderly, infants, and patients with disabilities. ART is an effective treatment that can serve as an alternative to conventional restorations such as resin and amalgam, with satisfactory survival rates in clinical studies ranging from 1 to 6 years. ART is particularly well-suited for primary dentition due to lower occlusal forces and the limited longevity of primary teeth. This technique has some limitations related to cavity size; in other words, single-surface restorations, especially Class I, and small to medium-sized cavities exhibit higher survival rates. ART for single surfaces shows higher longevity rates compared to multiple surfaces in both dentitions. In conclusion, Atraumatic Restorative Treatment is particularly suitable for public health as it requires few resources to perform and offers satisfactory longevity.