MINIMALLY INVASIVE TREATMENT OF CARIOUS LESIONS IN PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

Abstract

Difficulties in dental care for children, due to the need to behavior control and adequate family support, in addition to peculiarities regarding the anatomy of primary teeth, call for the use of minimal intervention techniques for the control of dental caries. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to carry out a bibliographic review on the minimally invasive treatment of caries lesions in primary teeth, addressing the characteristics, indications, and limitations of different techniques within this concept. The control of biofilm without dental seal is an approach in which no type of restorative material is placed to seal the cavities, with oral hygiene being efficiently instituted as a strategy to paralyze caries lesions. Sealing the lesion without removing carious tissue requires the use of resinous sealants or metallic crowns directly over the cavities, without prior removal of carious tissue. In turn, selective caries removal followed by restoration is the most accepted and used technique in pediatric dentistry, and is currently considered the gold standard, to the detriment of total removal of carious tissue. Although the minimum intervention is well accepted by children, its acceptability by guardians and pediatric dentists is still questionable. It was observed that all these techniques are effective alternatives for minimally invasive treatment in pediatric dentistry. However, the understanding, participation, and commitment of the family members is essential, considering that the control of biofilm and diet have a fundamental role to guarantee the success of these treatments.