The change in the concepts of cavity preparation and the development of reliable adhesive materials lead to the development of alternative methods of caries removal. Chemo-mechanical caries removal (CMCR) involves the chemical softening of carious dentin, followed by its removal with gentle excavation.
Objective: The present study was conducted to evaluate clinically the efficiency of caries removal using a new chemo-mechanical agent (Papacarie) compared to the conventional drilling method including the need for local anesthesia, the need for drill, duration of the treatment and the pain reaction.
Study design: This study was split mouth design. The study was performed on thirty seven bilateral open carious lesions. They were divided into two equal groups according to method of caries removal. In Group I, caries was removed using the Papacarie system and in Group II, caries was removed with the conventional drill.
Results: The results showed that the Papacarie was as efficient as the drill in caries removal from open carious lesions with no significant difference in the operating time. The new CMCR agent also reduced significantly the need for local anesthesia and the use of drill. In addition, Papacarie was also more comfortable than the traditional rotatory instruments.
Conclusions: It was concluded that Papacarie could be an effective caries removal method to treat children, particularly those who present with early childhood caries or management problems.