Some of the latest advancements in today’s field in restorative or cosmetic dentistry have helped bring about new approaches to restorative dental care, including conservative dentistry. Conservative dentistry focuses on using techniques and methods that don’t require surgical or highly invasive solutions to treat complex dental problems. In recent years, concepts such as minimally-invasive or non-invasive have taken hold of dentistry. Due to their high success rates, they’ve become practically required for new cosmetic dental practices looking to make their way into the world. But for patients looking into their options for dental treatments, it’s easy to wonder how conservative approaches work.
What Conservative Treatment Looks Like In Cosmetic Offices
Minimally invasive procedures work to conserve the original, healthy tissues found within the oral cavity while attempting to treat the damaged or unhealthy tissues. This means that treatments such as tooth extractions, root canal procedures, and even implants are excluded from the picture. Dentists working with conservative methods would have to work with more alternative methods to treat their patients. In cosmetic dentistry, restorative dentists would need to address vitally harmful concerns to their patient’s health and attempt to remove or adjust the condition without using more extensive or invasive methods. Some treatments currently in place already implement these methods because of their ability to help patients restore their teeth to health without the drastic side effects of those procedures.
Many restorative dentists have already been moving towards conservative dentistry to combat the problem faced with handling both the aesthetic demands alongside the patient’s severe dental issues. Some of the treatments commonly used today that are considered non-invasive or minimally invasive can include:
- Teeth Whitening: Teeth whitening is considered one of the most frequently sought cosmetic dental treatments. Teeth whitening addresses stains in the enamel by brightening dimmed enamel and improving the smile’s aesthetic color to reach the desired shade.
- Clear Aligners: Clear aligners are orthodontic appliances that adjust the tooth’s alignment. Clear aligners do not require tissue removal and are made using plastic aligner trays. Once completed, patients often have to continue to wear a retainer to maintain the adjustment.
- Dental Bonding: Dental bonding refers to a procedure that uses bonding material as a restoration medium. This restoration medium can be tinted to mirror the color of the patient’s dental tissue and mold or fill in gaps and missing areas of the tooth. This option enhances the natural appearance of your teeth and doesn’t require any removal of natural teeth material during the procedure.
- Microabrasion: While considered the most invasive of the list, it only removes a small amount of enamel to help remove signs of discoloration and prepare the teeth for restorative treatments such as veneers or inlays.
Visit Your Local Restorative Dentist Today!
Conservative dentistry focuses on maintaining a natural appearance. Because of the high demands of restorative dentistry, minimally-invasive procedures and non-invasive procedures have become the new way to tackle complex dental problems. If you find yourself displeased with your smile’s appearance, visit your local cosmetic dentist today to learn about your options and address your aesthetic dental concerns with dentists you can trust.