Q: What is minimally invasive dentistry?
Welcome to proactive prevention and health management.
Minimally Invasive Dentistry provides patients with more control over their oral health by seeking to prevent the need for an invasive intervention. The goal is to treat underlying issues rather than simply react by treating symptoms. To that end, we always focus on preserving as much of the natural tooth structure as possible as a way of contributing to a patient’s long-term health. MID procedures steer the process away from “replacement dentistry,” wherein a cavity gets larger, and the tooth gets weaker through repeated dental interventions in spite of an active underlying disease. Our providers use a whole-person approach to manage oral health issues.
Essential Elements of MID
Some essential elements to proactive prevention with MID include fluoride toothpaste, silver diamine fluoride and glass ionomer fillings. In 2021, the World Health Organization added fluoride toothpaste, silver diamine fluoride and glass ionomer fillings to its list of Essential Medications.
The Benefits of MID
How does Minimally Invasive Dentistry (MID) work?
MID practitioners fight dental disease by implementing a program that involves:
- Patient examination or screening
- Caries risk assessment
- Evaluation of susceptibility to oral diseases
- Oral hygiene instruction
- Head & neck cancer screenings
- Intra, extraoral photos, and X-rays when warranted
- Various levels of dental cleanings
- Silver diamine fluoride treatments
- Fluoride varnish applications
- Glass Ionomer Fillings and Hall Crowns
- Povidone Iodine
The Role of the Dentist
The dentist’s primary role in our program is to serve patients by evaluating whether minimally invasive or traditional dentistry is in the patient’s best interests. In many cases, treatment usually includes a combination of MID procedures and preventive services focused on oral hygiene.
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