Are Brazilian dentists and dental students using the ICCC recommendations for caries management?

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate whether dentists and dental undergraduate students know the terminology of the International Caries Consensus Collaboration (ICCC), and make their restorative treatment decisions regarding carious tissue removal accordingly. Data collection was performed using an electronic questionnaire, considering: a) profile of the respondent; b) analysis of four clinical cases with respect to possible management strategies; and c) questions on cariology field terminology. Sample size consisted of 175 dentists and 66 last semester dental students. Statistical analyses were performed comparing profile, type of institution and dental specialty of the participants. Results showed students were less conservative and agreed less with the ICCC than dentists, and private schools, less than public institutions. Private institutions were 12% (95%CI = 0.833–0.949; p = 0.000) more likely to be less updated with the ICCC recommendations than public institutions, and dentists were 20% more likely to agree with them than students (95%CI = 1.118–1.302; p = 0.000). Dentists were 66% more likely to be conservative than students (95%CI = 0.203–0.554; p = 0.000); dentists and students who graduated or were graduating from public universities were twice as likely to be conservative as those from private universities (95%CI = 1.336–3.333; p = 0.001). In conclusion, students in the last semester are less conservative than dentists, and respondents who graduated or were graduating from public dental schools were more aligned with the current concepts of the ICCC. Several answers were not aligned with ICCC directives, thus showing that management of deep carious lesions still causes restorative therapeutic insecurity.

摘要 本研究旨在评估牙科医师与牙科本科毕业班学生是否掌握国际龋病共识协作组（International Caries Consensus Collaboration, ICCC）的专业术语，并据此制定龋损组织去除的修复治疗方案。数据收集采用电子问卷形式，涵盖三部分内容：a) 受访者基本信息；b) 针对4例临床病例的可能诊疗策略分析；c) 龋病学领域专业术语相关问题。本研究共纳入175名牙科医师与66名牙科本科毕业班学生。统计分析对比了参与者的基本信息、所在机构类型及牙科专科方向。结果显示：学生的治疗方案保守性更低，且对ICCC指南的认同度低于牙科医师；私立院校受访者的认同度低于公立院校。相较于公立机构，私立机构受访者对ICCC推荐方案的认知更新不足的概率高12%（95%置信区间=0.833~0.949；*p*=0.000）；牙科医师认同ICCC指南的概率较学生高20%（95%置信区间=1.118~1.302；*p*=0.000）；牙科医师采取保守治疗的概率较学生高66%（95%置信区间=0.203~0.554；*p*=0.000）；毕业或就读于公立牙科院校的受访者，采取保守治疗的概率为私立院校受访者的2倍（95%置信区间=1.336~3.333；*p*=0.001）。综上，牙科本科毕业班学生的治疗方案较牙科医师保守性更低，且毕业或就读于公立牙科院校的受访者更契合ICCC的当前学术理念。部分受访者的回答与ICCC指南不符，提示深龋病变的修复治疗决策仍存在不确定性。