Minimal intervention dentistry-the present-day option

Management approach for caries has advanced from being surgical to minimal invasive techniques. Minimal Invasive Dentistry (MID) follows three strategies to provide wholesome management including risk assessment, prevention, early diagnosis and conservative intervention Caries Risk Assessment (CRA) is the process of evaluating the risk and categorizing an individual to design a customized preventive protocol. Various tools for caries risk assessment that can be used are discussed in the article. Once caries risk is identified, various options of preventive measures are discussed. Importance is given for remineralization of early caries and various other methods of restoring a cavity with minimal removal of sound enamel or dentin. This article gives a comprehensive information for a clinician stressing on the need for MID.