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Introduction. The aim of study was to correlate dental-pulp reactions to dental caries with diverse localization, evolution and depth. Materials and method. The study was realized on a group of 87 patients with age ranging between 15-35 years. 222 posterior teeth with carious lesions were examined both on clinical and radiographs (ortopantomographs). Type of pulp-dentinal defensive reactions visible on radiographs were as follows: neodentinogenesis with advanced deposition of tertiary dentin, dentinal hypermineralisation, difuse pulp calcification. Parameters taken in study were as follows: sex, age group, dental group, radiographic indices (depth, location). Data were recorded in tables and expressed in Microsoft Excel graphs. Results and discussions. Clinical and radiographic data showed correlation between deep chronic caries localized on occlusal surfaces of mandibular molars and dentinal hypermineralisation reactions; deep chronic caries localized on maxillary molars were associated with massive retraction of pulp room through neodentinogenesis. Lack of pulp-dentinal complex reactions was observed especially for patients with age 15-25 and dental caries with acute evolution. Conclusions. Age, localization and evolution of dental caries can be correlated with presence of specific forms of pulp-dentinal reactions.

Aim. To determine the performance of the laserfluorescence method in the detection of early occlusal dental caries extended below the enamel-dentine junction related to different cut-off values. Materials and method. The in vivo study was performed on a sample group of 65 patients with 78 occlusal surfaces (molars) with enamel or dentine occlusal non-cavitated or microcavitary occlusal dental caries. The selected occlusal surfaces were examined by the ICDAS system (clinical exam) and the laser-fluorescence method (Diagnodent, KAVO), by a single examiner, with a 2 year-experience in the use of the ICDAS system and Diagnodent. The demineralisation depth was recorded after a minimal invasive intervention with a 330 bur. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the cut-off values 20, 25, 30, 35 were determined according to the demineralization depth of enamel/dentine recorded after the minimal operative intervention. Results. The laser-fluorescence method, used to detect early occlusal dental caries extended below the enameldentine junction, gave the following sensitivity values: 0.93 for cut-off 20, 0.86 for cut-off 25, 0.69 for cut-off 30, 0.54 for cut-off 35, while the specificity values were: 0.80 for cut-off 25 and 1.00 for cut off 30 and 35. The accuracy of the diagnosis was 0.75 for cut-off 20, 0.83 for cut-off 25, 0.73 for cut-off 30, 0.60 for cut-off 35. Conclusions. The highest accuracy (0.83) of the laserfluorescence method was recorded for an optimal cut-off of 25. Significant statistical differences were found between the 25, on one side, and the 25 and 35 cut-off values, on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]