The Impact of Minimally Invasive Restorative Techniques on Dental Pain in Pregnant Women

Papacarie was introduced into the cavity using the applicator and left for 40 seconds. A blunt excavator was used to remove the softened dentin. The remaining gel was removed using a cotton pellet. When there was no change in gel color, the cavity was considered caries free. The cavity was then filled with high viscosity glass ionomer cement (GIC) in an encapsulated form (Riva Self-Cure, SDI Limited, Bayswater, VIC, Australia). A mechanical mixer was used to mix the capsule for 10 seconds, the capsule was placed into the applicator to apply the GIC into the cavity. For occluso-proximal cavities, a matrix strip with a wooden wedge was used to provide the appropriate contour of the restoration. A gloved finger was used to apply pressure on the GIC for one minute and occlusion was checked and excess material was removed

The tooth was cleaned with a wet cotton pellet to remove debris and plaque. Caries was removed using sharp spoon excavators (Darby-Perry #220/221, #17 DE, Hu-Friedy, Chicago, USA), followed by cleaning the cavity using a small wet cotton pellet and finally dried with a dry cotton pellet. The cavity was considered caries-free when a leather-hard texture was reached and the excavator did not stick anymore. GIC was used to restore the cavity using the same technique described for the other group.