A longitudinal study of the survival of interproximal root caries lesions restored with glass ionomer cement via a minimally invasive approach

The prevalence of gingival recessions and the number of root surfaces exposed to the oral environment both increase with age. In turn, these increases place the older population at increased risk for caries; it is estimated that 23.7% of those over the age of 65 have root caries.1 Glass ionomer (GI) seems particularly suitable for restoring root lesions, as it has good esthetic and anti-cariogenic properties, allows for chemical bonding to teeth, and has gained wide acceptance. This article describes a minimally invasive approach for restoring interproximal root caries lesions with GI; in this study, 66 such lesions were restored and followed for up to 80 months. The results show that the radiographic quality score was the single most important predictor for restoration survival. High-quality restorations survived an average of 74 months (SE = 2.7), with a cumulative survival rate of 77.4% at 80 months. Age, gender, and periodontal status were unrelated to restoration survival.