Minimally Invasive Cavity Preparation Techniques

Tarfa JS and Al Jubouri MR

Published on: 2023-12-09

Abstract

Despite a decline in recent decades, dental caries remains one of the most common oral diseases internationally. Dentistry in the preceding century was not focused on the surgical removal of carious lesions alone but also the involvement of healthy tissue according to the G.V. Black role that says "extension for prevention." The expected results of this type of intervention were, firstly, the weakening of the tooth structure and concomitant fracture of the tooth, and secondly, the development of secondary caries on the margins of the restoration, which were the primary causes of restoration failure. There was a need for a new treatment approach to dental caries. The notion of minimally invasive dentistry started a few decades ago, and it focuses on preventive measures, remineralization of the early lesion and minimal surgical intervention for cavitated lesions and repair rather than replacement of the defective restoration. This paper aimed to provide a brief review of the existing literature about minimally invasive dentistry principles, different types of minimally invasive cavity preparation techniques, and some of the advantages and disadvantages of these techniques.