CONSERVATIVE DENTISTRY

Modern conservative dentistry is based on the concept of minimal invasiveness, with only carious tissue being removed and replaced with a restorative material that is bonded directly to healthy tissue. In recent years, metal amalgams have been abandoned in favour of composites, which are stronger and more aesthetically pleasing alloys.

Thanks to the adhesive characteristics of composite materials, only carious tissue is removed, unlike with the use of silver amalgam, which required retentive tooth preparation and thus a larger cavity with the removal of healthy tooth tissue as well.

The most widely used process in conservative techniques is filling, which frees the tooth from caries and protects it from external agents, but is only used to treat small, not excessively large caries.

In the case of particularly extensive caries and in the restoration of devitalised teeth, the application of an inlay is recommended, i.e. a prosthetic artefact made in the laboratory and subsequently cemented onto the tooth prepared by the dentist.