vVARDIS explains why early intervention for caries with Curodont Repair is an untapped opportunity, especially in paediatric dentistry.
Despite advancements in preventative oral care in the past few decades, caries is still the most prevalent non-communicable disease worldwide (Petersen et al, 2005). While one major reason is the increase in consumption of sugary, acidic, and ultra-processed foods, another is the lack of early intervention in the caries disease process.
Managing carious lesions in their early stages, when they are still non-cavitated and largely asymptomatic, is a significant step in tackling this disease, especially in the paediatric population.
Curodont Repair, by vVARDIS Switzerland, offers today a regenerative and non-invasive treatment for these incipient stages of caries. This revolutionary product based on the biomimetic self-assembling peptide technology is a patented, low-viscosity liquid formula that has the ability to diffuse to the depth of the caries lesion.
By utilising calcium and phosphate ions from the patient’s own saliva de novo hydroxyapatite crystals are generated, a process termed ‘guided enamel regeneration’ (Kind et al, 2017).
Clinical evidence
The efficacy of Curodont Repair has repeatedly been proven in several studies, including randomised controlled clinical trials. It has shown a clinical success rate above 90% defined as arrest and regression of initial caries lesions through in-depth enamel regeneration and it has proven to be significantly superior compared to fluoride varnish alone.
Recently, a retrospective analysis of non-cavitated proximal lesions treated with Curodont Repair in a public paediatric practice in Chur, Switzerland, was published in the Journal of American Dental Association (Godenzi et al, 2023). A total of 405 early interproximal carious lesions in 219 patients (age: 10-19 years) were treated with a single application of Curodont Repair and followed up with a once-a-week application of Curodont Protect.
Curodont Protect is a complement to Curodont Repair, containing the same peptide technology in a gel form and enriched with calcium, phosphate, and fluoride.
Patient follow-ups ranged from up to one year to up to six years. On analysis of pre-operative and follow-up bite-wing X-rays, a successful clinical outcome at the last follow-up, ie arrest or caries regression, was seen in 93% of the treated lesions. In the cases with follow-ups of more than two years, there was no cavitation in over 90% of lesions. An interesting observation was that the rate of regression did not depend on the initial depth of the carious lesion ie regression was even observed in lesions reaching the outer one-third of dentine.
Advantages for children
There are several advantages of treatment with Curodont Repair, making it ideal for use in the paediatric population:
- It is applied in a single, short, drill-free, in-office procedure that does not require administration of anaesthesia or necessitate the use of a rubber dam
- The formula is non-staining, tasteless
- Typically, a single application is enough. In patients with a high caries risk, such as those with rampant caries or those undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment, the application can be repeated if necessary.