Conservative dentistry is primarily the preventive and conservative treatment of teeth. Patients most often see specialists in this field, hence the other name – general dentistry.
Main methods
Conservative dentistry revolves around the fight against tooth decay using two main methods: prevention and conservative treatment of teeth. The first of these teaches how to take proper care of teeth. With proper hygiene, we stop outbreaks from forming. The second method – tooth-preserving treatment – stops the excessive development of disease, which could necessitate tooth extraction. Caries itself is a bacterial infectious disease of tooth tissue. An infected tooth becomes a focus of bacteria that can infect adjacent teeth. Microbes penetrate the tooth’s surface, and more of it becomes damaged. Root canal treatment is the only way to save the tooth. What does conservative dentistry do? Let’s start with prevention. This one is interesting because it is largely done at the patient’s home. If we want to have healthy teeth, that should be done morning and evening. A toothbrush is not enough. To get the full effect, one should reach for dental floss. The space between the teeth can be very small, and getting into these nooks and crannies is extremely easy. This is important because it is such debris that the bacteria that cause tooth decay feed on.
Caries & decay
In prophylaxis, follow-up visits to the dental office are extremely important. We can take great care of our teeth and follow all recommendations, but not all of us are dentists. Follow-up visits should occur twice a year, allowing to catch and stop the lesions in time and stop them. Caries in the early stages are much easier to treat. In addition to check-ups, one more important treatment is hyalinization (or rather, a series of treatments: scaling, sandblasting and fluoridation). The specialist focuses on removing plaque and tartar that is deposited on the patient’s teeth. These procedures have a positive effect on the health of the teeth and brighten their colour.
Dental conservative treatment is the removal of the effects of decay. The treatment consists of removing the diseased parts of the tooth, thoroughly disinfecting and filling the cavity. If the disease is minor, the cavity will be small and easy to fill. If the bacteria manage to penetrate deeper, it will be harder to restore the tooth. There may be a need for prosthetic crowns or, in order to save the tooth, carrying out an even larger treatment or a tooth extraction will be necessary.