Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Dentistry

Introduction

Dental caries is a complex condition influenced by various factors such as biological, genetic, socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental elements. It stands as the most prevalent childhood ailment, surpassing asthma by five times and hay fever by seven times. The primary goal for every dentist should be to maintain a healthy set of natural teeth for each patient. Conservative dentistry, which involves removing a minimal amount of healthy tooth structure along with the decayed portion during restoration, is an admirable dental objective.

Minimally Invasive Dentistry (MID) presents a novel approach to addressing dental decay through techniques that preserve tooth structure to the greatest extent possible. This conservative philosophy not only reduces the time, pain, and stress associated with restorative procedures but also diminishes patient anxiety. MID operates on the principle of assessing a patient's caries risk and employing current therapies to prevent, control, and treat the disease. It is commonly referred to as treating dental caries with a biological, therapeutic, or medical model. This article explains minimally invasive cosmetic dentistry, and it's advantages.

What Is Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Dentistry?

Minimally Invasive Dentistry (MID) embraces a philosophy that incorporates prevention, remineralization, and minimal intervention in the placement and replacement of dental restorations. The primary goal is the preservation of tissue, preferably achieved through the prevention of disease and the interception of its progression. This approach involves performing treatments with minimal tissue loss, emphasizing precise excision of only what needs to be removed without causing damage to adjacent tissues.

The following are the principles of MID:

• Implementing the "sooner-the-better" strategy involves early assessment of a patient's smile imperfections and aesthetic preferences. This proactive approach aims to reduce the need for invasive treatments in the future.

• Designing a smile takes into account psychology, health, functionality, and aesthetics.

• Embracing the do-no-harm strategy involves choosing treatment procedures with care and prioritizing the utmost preservation of healthy oral tissues whenever possible.

• Choosing dental materials and equipment that align with minimally invasive (MI) treatment options is done through an evidence-based approach.

• Promoting a continuous and close relationship with the patient is essential to ensure regular maintenance, timely repairs, and thorough evaluation of the aesthetic work conducted.

The call for a fresh approach in contemporary aesthetic dentistry necessitates thoughtful concepts and treatment plans that offer a straightforward, all-encompassing, patient-centric, and minimally invasive (MI) strategy, prioritizing psychology, health, function, and aesthetics. Concerns from practitioners, aesthetic dentistry associations, and academics globally have underscored the demand for a holistic concept and fundamental treatment guidelines. This arises from essential considerations related to patient care, aesthetics, and the need for a comprehensive approach.

• Cosmetic dentistry has now become necessary, and it is overruling general dentistry. The patient's satisfaction is fulfilled by the results of cosmetic dentistry.

• Cosmetic dentistry currently focuses on prevention, restoration, remineralization, and minimum procedure required in dental caries.

• Recognizing the pivotal role of aesthetic outcomes in patient satisfaction, it is crucial to address the existing gaps in minimal invasive (MI) dentistry. While MI dentistry primarily concentrates on preventive measures, remineralization, and minimally invasive for carious lesions, it tends to overlook issues impacting smile aesthetics, such as non-carious dental lesions, developmental defects, and malocclusion.

• Contemporary cosmetic dentistry has witnessed a shift towards more invasive procedures, marked by the excessive use of crowns, bridges, thick full veneers, and invasive periodontal aesthetic surgeries. Unfortunately, this trend often sidelines long-term oral health considerations, the true aesthetic needs of patients, and their individual characteristics.

• The current trajectory in cosmetic dentistry, driven by an inclination towards invasive methods, raises concerns about the degradation of social trust in the dental profession. This decline is attributed to fulfilling cosmetic demands without ethical considerations and a robust scientific foundation, leading to a "more is more" mentality, where increased procedures are equated with higher earnings.

What Are the Treatment Options Of Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Dentistry?

MICD (Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Dentistry) offers diverse treatment modalities, and their efficacy relies on factors such as the extent of smile defects, smile design type, proposed treatment, and complexity grade. The guiding principle in selecting treatment modalities in MICD is to consistently opt for the least invasive procedure. There are two categories of MICD treatment: NI (Non-Invasive) and MI (Minimally Invasive) treatment. However, conventional invasive treatment modalities may also be necessary, depending on the complexity of the case.

The following are the treatment options for MID:

• Smile training - Smile correction is done by surgery.

• Tooth whitening - Many people want their teeth to look white and shiny, so tooth whitening is done.

• Remineralization of white spots.

• Short orthodontics treatment - Orthodontics treatment is done for the correction of jaw-related problems or tooth misalignment. Short orthodontics treatment can be done through MID for the correction of improper tooth alignment.

• Non-preparation veneers.

• Enamel augmentation.

• Adhesive pontics.

• Oral appliances.

What Are the Advantages of Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Dentistry?

The following are the advantages of minimally invasive cosmetics dentistry:-

• Advocating for the well-being, functionality, and aesthetics of oral tissues not only enhances overall oral health but also contributes positively to the quality of life for the patient.

• Conserving intact tooth structures, often referred to as "banking the tooth structure," is prioritized to attain the desired aesthetic outcome.

• Diminishing treatment-related anxiety and fostering heightened patient confidence.

• Building trust and improving the professional image.

Conclusion

Over a decade ago, MI (Minimally Invasive) dentistry was pioneered by restorative experts and grounded in evidence-based principles. While its primary focus in dentistry has been on prevention, remineralization, and minimal intervention in caries management, it has not received adequate attention in addressing other oral health issues. A less invasive result can be achieved by first implementing alignment and whitening techniques before considering any tooth preparation. Allowing patients to witness the progressive transformation of their teeth can alter their aesthetic preferences and what suits them. With the availability of new nano-hybrid composite materials, edge bonding has become easier and more predictable, leading to a natural aesthetic outcome. There are more advancements in cosmetic dentistry that need to come into practice. Fashion, personal beliefs, aesthetics, and smiles are multifaceted issues that need to be addressed during aesthetic treatment.