TABLE 2.
Outcomes of INDPC/selective/stepwise caries removal
| Core area | Outcome domain | How it is measured | Number of articles reporting outcome | Minimum/maximum follow up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survival | Tooth survival | Tooth present | 2 | 1.5–10 years |
| NS | 4 | 6–62 months | ||
| Physiological/clinical changes | Pain | Patient report | 19 | 1 week–5 years |
| VAS | 2 | |||
| Symptoms | Patient report | 9 | 1 day–62 month | |
| Infection‐swelling, sinus, fistula or abscess | Clinical assessment | 6 | 3 months–3 years | |
| Radiographic evidence disease progression | Radiographic assessment | 19 | 2–62 months | |
| Vitality/sensibility | Cold test only | 15 | 1 week–10 years | |
| Heat and cold test | 1 | |||
| Cold test and EPT | 6 | |||
| Heat and cold test and EPT | 1 | |||
| Cold test or EPT | 2 | |||
| Thermal unspecified and EPT | 1 | |||
| NS | 2 | |||
| Tenderness to percussion /palpation | Clinical assessment | 4 | 1 week–5 years | |
| TTP and palpation | 6 | |||
| TTP only | — | |||
| Palpation only | — | |||
| Mobility | NS | 6 | 3 months–3 years | |
| Continued root development or apexogenesis | Radiographic assessment | 2 | 2 months–11 years | |
| Remineralisation/ hard tissue/dentine barrier formation | Radiographic assessment | 10 | 3 months–10 years | |
| Clinical assessment | 11 | |||
| Radiographic and CBCT | 1 | |||
| Histological assessment | 2 | |||
| Histological evidence of carious process in dentine | Microbiology | 10 | 3–12 months | |
| Integrity /quality of restoration | NS | 5 | 2 months–10 years | |
| Exposure during caries excavation or temporary restoration removal | Clinical assessment | 12 | Baseline–6 months | |
| Life impact | Success | Clinical and radiographic assessment | 12 | 1 week–11 years |
| Clinical assessment | — | — | ||
| Radiographic assessment | — | — | ||
| NS | 4 | 6–62 months | ||
| Aesthetics‐ discolouration | Clinical assessment‐ photographic comparison | 1 | 6 months | |
| Resources use | Need for further intervention | Clinical and radiographic assessment | 13 | 1 week–10 years |
| Time to complete procedure | CROM‐ timed procedure | 1 | 18 months | |
| Use of analgesics after procedure | Patient report | 1 | 1 week–1 year | |
| Adverse effects | Resorption | Radiographic assessment | 3 | 2 months–3 years |
| Change in lesion depth/ secondary caries | Radiographic assessment | 7 | 3 months–10 years | |
| NS | 5 | |||
| Radiographic and CBCT | 1 |
Abbreviations: CBCT, Cone‐beam computed tomography; CROM, Clinician reported outcome measures; EPT, Electric pulp test; NS, not specified; TTP, tender to percussion; VAS, visual analogue scale.