EVALUATION OF CLINICAL AND LABORATORY EFFICACY OF MODERN AND MINIMALLY INVASIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN THE TREATMENT OF DENTAL CARIES IN CHILDREN

Abstract

This scientific article provides a comprehensive clinical and laboratory evaluation of modern, minimally invasive, and bioactive technologies (silver diamine fluoride — SDF, resin infiltration — ICON, chemomechanical excavation, and bio-interactive restorative materials) in the treatment of dental caries among 150 pediatric patients aged 2 to 18 years. Patients were stratified into three age-defined cohorts. Over a 12-month follow-up period, parameters including pain perception (Wong-Baker FACES scale), patient cooperation (Frankl scale), restoration marginal integrity and retention, salivary pH and buffering capacity, and Streptococcus mutans counts were systematically evaluated. Findings revealed that minimally invasive modalities significantly reduced dental anxiety and pain (p < 0.001), achieving an 89.4% lesion arrest rate and a 93.5% restoration retention rate. The obtained data provide a robust scientific foundation for implementing age-differentiated clinical treatment protocols in pediatric dentistry.