What do systematic reviews say?

Non-selective carious tissue removal and conventional restoration (CR) vs Selective carious tissue removal (selective excavation, SE)

It is very uncertain whether non-selective carious tissue removal and conventional restoration (CR) changes failure of therapy compared with selective carious tissue removal (selective excavation, SE) (very low certainty).

• Interventions for treating cavitated or dentine carious lesions 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes

  12 months · Cavitated but not deep lesions, primary dentition
  OR 0.62 [0.21, 1.88]
  2 studies · 204 participants
  Very low
• Interventions for treating cavitated or dentine carious lesions 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes

  12-18 months · Deep lesions, permanent dentition
  OR 11.32 [1.97, 65.02]
  2 studies · 179 participants
  Very low
• Interventions for treating cavitated or dentine carious lesions 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes

  6-36 months · Deep lesions, primary dentition
  OR 4.43 [1.04, 18.77]
  4 studies · 265 participants
  Very low

Non-selective carious tissue removal and conventional restoration (CR) vs Selective carious tissue removal (selective excavation, SE)

• Interventions for treating cavitated or dentine carious lesions 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Cavitated but not deep lesions, primary dentition
  Lesion progression reported narratively: Ribeiro 1999 found 6/24 lesions progressed after 12 months; not pooled and not GRADE-rated.
  1 study
  GRADE not reported