Management of the deep carious lesion: a literature review

##Statement of the problem The management of the deep carious lesion is a topic of keen interest to the dental profession with many and varied treatment modalities advocated in the scientific literature. ##Purpose of the study This literature review proposes to summarise current consensus approaches and scientific thinking in this area. Some new treatment advances have been advocated in recent years and their efficacy is also examined. Topics and areas of interest are proposed for future research. ##Methods The studies examined in this review were based on searches online in the PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar search engines, and Cochrane reviews, and include systematic reviews and consensus papers, as well as observational studies, randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses. ##Conclusion Problems exist in this area regarding precise definitions and measurement of deep carious lesions in practice, and standardisations of measurement do not currently exist. This is an area where further study and research would be welcome.