A General Dentist Answers Questions About Conservative Dentistry

Your general dentist mentioned conservative dentistry, but do you know what it means? Conservative dentistry works to preserve your natural teeth as much as possible. General dentists practicing conservative dentistry believe keeping your natural teeth is healthiest. In conservative dentistry, your dentist wants to protect your natural teeth. Regular in-office exams are also an essential part of conservative dentistry. The general dentist can identify dental disease early and help to prevent damage.

What is conservative dentistry?

General dentists who practice conservative dentistry focus on preventing disease and complications. Patients who practice good oral hygiene can prevent cavities from forming. Regular exams and teeth cleanings can also be beneficial. The general dentist is a good resource for learning the correct way to brush and floss. By practicing oral hygiene, patients make sure their natural teeth stay intact and undamaged. Prevention is the most important component of conservative dentistry.

Are the techniques less invasive?

Sometimes, patients develop a cavity or another issue. Conservative dentistry treats these issues with less invasive techniques. This may mean selecting a composite filling over an amalgam filling. The dentist must drill a larger hole for an amalgam filling. Too much drilling destroys healthy enamel. The dentist may also perform other procedures to try to preserve a tooth rather than extract it.

People may need root canals when receiving a filling. A root canal can help the patient keep the natural tooth. Removing the infection allows the tooth structure to stay intact. A root canal can prevent the disease from spreading to other teeth. Keeping the natural tooth prevents needing a painful extraction.

What are the benefits of conservative dentistry?

Another benefit of conservative dentistry is less anesthesia. A general dentist who practices conservative dentistry focuses on preventing issues from developing. Preserving natural teeth means there are fewer reasons to use anesthesia during visits. Less anesthesia also means fewer complications.

The general dentist will only remove the damaged tooth material for a filling. The dentist will preserve all the healthy tooth material. For many, this means fewer visits back to the dentist. The tooth structure stays stronger.

What about veneers or dentures?

Conservative dentistry makes procedures like veneers or permanent dentures a last resort. The idea is to preserve the patient’s natural teeth even if there are minor defects like cavities or worn areas. To install veneers, the dentist must roughen the enamel of the teeth for the veneers. This process is irreversible.

If a patient has diseased teeth, a dentist may need to pull them. Some dentists opt to pull both diseased and healthy teeth. The dentist can then install a full set of permanent dentures. But this can cause many other oral health issues. A dentist could instead treat the diseased teeth, leaving healthy teeth intact.