Novel method to 'drilling and filling' dental cavities is found lacking

Innovative methods for preventing the progression of cavities in teeth appear regularly. One such method is the application of ozone gas to carious lesions.

The idea being that this will reduce the amount of bacteria in the lesion and prevent the need for 'drilling and filling'.

A review of the available research, however, concludes that there is no evidence to suggest that the application of ozone to affected teeth has any benefits over no treatment at all.

Reviewers determined that the available data were inadequate for a valid evaluation of this alternative technique. It is their belief that a further body of independent research is needed of appropriate rigor without risk of bias before ozone treatment can be validated as an alternative to traditional methods.

The Cochrane Library - Issue 3 of 2004 is published this week by Wiley, and this newsletter highlights some of the key health care conclusions reached by new Cochrane reviews and their implications for practice.