Resumo

SILVA, Renato Pereira da et al. Criteria used by dentists for clinical decision making related to dental caries. Odontol. Clín.-Cient. (Online) [online]. 2013, vol.12, n.4, pp. 265-268. ISSN 1677-3888.

Aim: to verify the diagnostic criteria and thresholds for clinical decision making for dental caries inside of a group of DSs. The possible impact of those criteria and threshold was also evaluated. Methodology: a questionnaire was applied to 128 DSs from the city of the Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. The DSs were randomly selected. Results: previous dental prophylaxis is performed by 39% of the sample. The dental surface probing with pressure is performed by 58% of the sample. The outer half of the dentine was the radiographic threshold to a restorative treatment cited by 44% of the DSs. The cavitation in dentine is the clinical criterion adopted by 49% of the DSs. Conclusion: improvements on caries diagnosis and treatment, performed by such DSs, could be reached by the knowledge and conscious using of dental prophylaxis proceedings and probe to remove debris, and the adoption of dentine as the threshold to start a restorative treatment.

Palavras-chave : Dental Caries; Dental Care; Dental Staff..