Letters to the Editor

As dental professionals, it is essential to stay abreast of the latest evidence-based knowledge and information on diagnosing and managing dental caries. Despite the significant advancements in technology and dental materials, the management of dental caries still falls short of being optimal in some situations. Therefore, it important to correct these shortcomings and continuously update our practices. I would like to highlight some key points that I believe are vital when considering the diagnosis and management of dental caries. These points have been well investigated but have yet to be considered by many.

Using an explorer to diagnose dental caries is inappropriate as it has low specificity and sensitivity and is associated with high false positives, especially in fissure caries.

The word ‘catch’ we use to prove the presence of caries should not be used because sticking the explorer in the fissures does not necessarily indicate the presence of caries. Hence, the probe/explorer is used to check the surface texture of the tooth surface and cavitated caries lesion. Therefore, a blunt probe/explorer (i.e. WHO probe) can be used in such circumstances.